The Federal Ministry of Livestock Development (FMLD) has called on the Abia State Government to establish additional veterinary clinics across the state to strengthen livestock inspection and protect consumers from diseased meat.
The appeal was made by the Team Leader of the Tsetse Fly Surveillance and Control Project, Mr Gilbert Okoro, after his team completed a verification tour of Abia’s three senatorial districts to assess tsetse fly infestation.
Okoro said intelligence gathered during the exercise, particularly at the Lokpanta Cattle Market, the largest livestock trading hub in southern Nigeria, revealed serious gaps in veterinary services that could expose consumers to health risks.
According to him, market sources disclosed that diseased animals sometimes enter the food supply chain because of inadequate veterinary clinics and a shortage of regulatory personnel at the market.
While commending Gov. Alex Otti for ongoing improvements in the state’s healthcare sector, Okoro warned that an unregulated livestock market without adequate veterinary oversight could undermine those achievements.
He also described the failure to locate the federal veterinary clinic, originally allocated to Abia, at the strategically important Lokpanta Cattle Market as a costly mistake.
“Lokpanta is a major cattle marketing hub, and livestock consumed across the South pass through the market before distribution to states in the South-East and South-South.
“There is an urgent need for continuous tsetse fly control because our surveillance recorded a high concentration of tsetse flies in the area.
“Abia should replicate this control programme, particularly around the market axis. Additional veterinary clinics will not place a heavy financial burden on the state but will significantly strengthen public health protection,” he said.
Okoro recommended that the state establish veterinary clinics in all three senatorial districts to improve disease surveillance and livestock monitoring.
He noted that although the Federal Ministry of Livestock Development is establishing veterinary clinics nationwide, each state is entitled to only one federal clinic, making state investment in additional facilities necessary.
He also thanked the Abia Government for providing logistical support during the surveillance exercise and encouraged other states to adopt similar measures.
Earlier, the project’s Veterinary Technician, Mr Chimobi Ebisike, expressed concern over the lack of critical safety infrastructure at the Lokpanta Cattle Market.
According to him, he is the only veterinary personnel serving the entire market, making effective inspection nearly impossible.
“I am the only veterinary personnel in this whole place, and the workload is overwhelming. There are no operational drugs to treat sick animals, and because I work alone, some dead and diseased livestock escape detection and enter the commercial market,” he said.
Ebisike also alleged that some traders threaten veterinary officers whenever regulatory decisions affect their commercial interests.
He further lamented the absence of a permanent security post, saying security reinforcements from Umuahia often arrive after incidents have escalated.
The veterinary technician warned that some livestock owners administer drugs to sick animals shortly before selling them, without observing the mandatory withdrawal period required before slaughter.
According to him, drug residues in such meat may pose health risks to consumers.
He explained that some traders inject sick animals with medications such as procaine penicillin to make them appear healthy and fetch higher prices despite underlying illnesses.
Ebisike said establishing a fully staffed veterinary clinic at the market, backed by adequate funding and enforcement, would significantly reduce unsafe practices and improve food safety.
He called for increased budgetary support, prompt implementation of veterinary programmes and stronger monitoring of livestock health to protect consumers from preventable health hazards.
