The Lagos State Government in collaboration with its concessionaires has refurbished the Eko Refrigerated Meat Vans after an investigative report by PUNCH Healthwise spotlighted the deplorable state of the vehicles which experts said became a source of contaminant to meat consumed by millions of residents and jeopardised their health.
Also, the state government has scrapped some of the rickety and worn-out meat vans with a strong promise to unveil brand new ones soon after the publication.
Some of the drivers of the meat vans who could not hide their joy informed our correspondent about the refurbishment and also said the state government had commenced the rehabilitation of the Oko-Oba Abattoir and Lairage Complex road, Agege while commending PUNCH Healthwise for the report which they noted brought an end to the pain of daily breakdown of the vans and constant harassment by Vehicle Inspection Officers.
The excited drivers further disclosed that the report also led to the closure of Oko-Oba Abattoir for four days by the Lagos State due to poor hygiene practices that characterised the abattoir which was unearthed by the report.
PUNCH Healthwise in an investigative report titled, ‘Eko Meat Van: How butchers deliver dirty, contaminated meat to Lagos markets’, exposed how butchers under the watch of the state government use rickety and worn-out vans to distribute meat in the state and put the residents’ lives at risk.
The multiple impact story was published on September 3, 2023, in the Sunday PUNCH.
The report also revealed residents’ grave concerns as they lamented that the old and rickety vehicles contaminate the meat supply to them and endanger their health.
It also raised concerns about the unhygienic practices carried out by drivers and handlers alike, who accompany the vans to their destinations.
The PUNCH Healthwise report further revealed that Oko-Oba Abattoir and Lairage Complex, Agege, which is adjudged the largest in Lagos State, has the potential to cause health hazards due to poor hygiene practices that characterised meat handling in the facility.
The report also showed that the meat vans, including the minibuses used for transporting meat, were in a pitiable state and were begging for replacement.
Furthermore, the PUNCH Healthwise report exposed the bad road in the abattoir laced with deep potholes.
The drivers said the potholes were usually filled with rainwater during the rainy season and made their movement of meat with the rickety vehicles difficult.
The Commissioner for Agriculture, Ms Abisola Olusanya, also confirmed the refurbishment of the meat vans which is still ongoing to PUNCH Healthwise during an interview while also revealing that the state government in collaboration with the concessionaires would be unveiling brand new meat vans soon to ensure that that only wholesome meat was supplied to the residents.
Olusanya who also confirmed the commencement of the rehabilitation of the Oko-Oba Abattoir road and shutting down of the facility for over four days after the investigative report, assured that the road would be completed before the end of the third quarter of the year.
The commissioner said a lot of changes were ongoing at the Oko-Oba Abattoir and Lairage Complex, Agege following the PUNCH Healthwise report.
Refurbishment of Eko meat vans after PUNCH Healthwise report
Beginning with the refurbishment of the vans, the commissioner said, “The government concluded that the concessionaires (Eko meat van group private sector-led association) must refurbish the vans because they have the concession to transport meat in the state.
“It means we have given you more or less a licence to move the meat around in good vehicles. So, if the vehicles are in bad condition, then your licence will be revoked.”
“So, essentially it is to put them on their toes to say these vehicles have to be refurbished before they can be used on the road to transport meat.
“It is private sector individuals that are refurbishing them. But it is on the back of the agreement with the state government that for you to move meat around, you must have a good vehicle to do it.
“I know that about half of them have been refurbished right now. But they are still working on it and we are monitoring as well just to make sure that everything is in order.
“But like I said we have other concessionaires that are bringing new vehicles. New vehicles are supposed to be added to the fleet as well. The vehicles are already there but I don’t want to put a number on it yet.
I would have to get back to the concessionaires to ascertain. But I know that by June those vehicles will be on the road.”
Rehabilitation of Oko-Oba Abattoir Road after PUNCH Healthwise report
Olusanya also said the state government in collaboration with concessionaires had commenced the rehabilitation of roads inside and outside the Oko-Oba Abattoir and Lairage Complex road, Agege.
“The road is being fixed and it’s in collaboration with the concessionaires and the state government just to ensure that in terms of the environment in which the businesses within the abattoir are being conducted is conducive enough for everybody.
“We are looking to complete the road construction between now and the third quarter of the year. The road construction is extensive. It is inside and outside the abattoir.
“But I know that they are trying to rush things because we are still in the dry season. But we hope that by the end of the third quarter of this year, it should be completed”, the commissioner said.
Oko-Oba Abattoir closed after PUNCH Healthwise report
On closing the abattoir over poor hygiene practices after the report, the commissioner noted, “Yes we closed the abattoir for more than four days. We closed it intermittently. There were days we closed for two and there were days we closed for three. We have warned that if the abattoir is not clean, we will shut it down again.
“Everything is in a bid to ensure that in terms of meat transport, we use better vans, in terms of the environment in the abattoir, it is much better. Everything around burning meat skin or carcasses with tyres is eradicated.
“We are working with the Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency to ensure environmental cleanup exercises in the abattoir. So, a lot is going on within the abattoir right now to sanitise the entire place. We can’t continue to do things that put people’s lives at risk healthwise.”
Van refurbishment excites drivers
Some of the drivers who were eager to speak with our correspondent to express their joy over the publication during a follow-up visit to the Agege Abattoir said the pain of regular visits to the mechanics was over.
One of the drivers, who simply identified himself as Lekan for fear of victimisation expressed his heartfelt joy over the refurbishment of the vans which he said was long overdue.
“I am happy that they are refurbishing the vehicles and removing the rickety ones entirely out of the road. The vans became very bad over four years ago and we have been struggling to supply meat with them to the markets.
“ It was indeed a bad experience for those four years transporting meat to markets in the state with those rickety vans.
“Some markets like Festac and Ajah markets barred us from supplying meat to them with such vans. A lot of food vendors were also complaining and we were also unable to supply meat to big supermarkets in the state because they rejected our meat due to the bad state of the vehicles.”
Continuing, the driver said, “The ongoing refurbishment of the vans started in December 2023 but we heard about it in the second week of September 2023 after the PUNCH Healthwise report.
“The government first closed down the abattoir after the publication before refurbishing the vans and reconstructing the road.
“The drivers are happy with the changes we are seeing in the Agege abattoir since September last year. Also, since then we have been able to supply meat to those markets that vowed not to do business with those rickety vehicles.
“ I want to thank PUNCH Healthwise for the report which opened the eyes of the government to the poor state of the vehicles, the poor hygiene practices in the abattoir, and the bad road inside and outside the abattoir that contributed to damaging the vehicles.”
Another driver, Mr Hakeem Balogun, said he was no longer being arrested by VIO and could also supply meat to more markets since his vehicle was refurbished.
Balogun who was beaming with a smile while speaking with our correspondent said, “Lagos residents were complaining a lot before the vans were refurbished. We were being arrested by VIO before they were refurbished.
“For each arrest, you will pay the sum of N50,000 for the vehicle to be released. Traders and VIO were complaining bitterly about the vans. I am happy that the vans have been refurbished and the bad ones scrapped.”
Also speaking, another driver, Mr Haffiz Sule said that he was so excited when the state government after mandating the concessioners to refurbish the meat vans went further to repair roads inside and outside the Agege abattoir.
Sule commended PUNCH Healthwise for the multiple impact investigative report, stating that the era of the constant breakdown of the vans which made it difficult for them to deliver fresh meat to the market in good time was over.
Some residents who spoke with our correspondent said they were happy about the development, especially the refurbishment of the meat vans.
Eko meat vans debut
Eko refrigerated meat vans numbering 200, commenced operations in 2013 and were supposed to be replaced in 2018.
The scheme was inaugurated as a public and private sector partnership venture to ensure the safety and wholesomeness of meat consumed by the public, through ethical and hygienic transportation.
Data from the Lagos State Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives showed that the scheme started with Air Cool in 2008, but was later changed to the Eko Refrigerated Meat Van scheme in 2012, while the vans did not begin operation until 2013.
The Eko refrigerated meat van project is run by the state’s Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives in conjunction with private investors and butchers association groups under a jointly registered cooperative umbrella – Agege Meat van Multipurpose Cooperative Society.
The Secretary, of Agege Meat Van Multipurpose Cooperative Society, owners and operators of the Eko refrigerated meat vans, Mr Adeniyi Olayiwola, reluctantly spoke with our correspondent about the refurbishment.
He simply said, “I’m travelling. I will not be able to talk about it for now.”
