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HomeNewsEconomyAmbode orders closure of pig farms in residential areas

Ambode orders closure of pig farms in residential areas

The Lagos State Governor, Akinwunmi Ambode, has ordered closure of all pig farms located in residential areas within the State as part of effort to prevent health hazards associated with the practice of pig farming in residential areas.
This closure order came on the heels of several petitions sent by residents of Taiwo Adewole Street in New Oko Oba settlement of Ojokoro Local Council Development Area against the activities of a pig farm located on the street that has continued to pose both health and environmental hazards to residents.

The Lagos State Government in response to these petitions as well as an open petition sent by one Wisdom Uzoma, a resident of the area, to Ambode, published in The Punch of June 7, 2016, has shut down the pig farm and confiscated some of the animals in the farm.

The Commissioner for Agriculture, Toyin Suarau, who led a team of agric officers for the closure exercise, said the attention of the Governor was drawn to the petition sent by Uzoma, adding that Ambode being a responsive and responsible leader shares in the residents concern and thus ordered the immediate closure of the farm to forestall the outbreak of any disease.
He said: “Putting an end to the activities of the pig farm has become inevitable, especially because of the health hazard posed by the farm to inhabitant of area.

“We have not only shut down the pig farm, we have also confiscated some of the animals and ordered that the owner of the farm report to Alausa for negotiation on how to relocate to one of the pig farm settlements or estates within the state or risk all animals being confiscated by Friday 10th June, 2016.”

Suarau, who noted that the health and security of residents is of utmost importance, stressed that the present administration will not fold it arms and watch residents suffer from preventable and avoidable health and security mishaps.

He said the environmental effects associated with pig farming and other poultry production include but not limited to groundwater and surface water contamination, air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions, and long-run soil toxicity to plants and animals.

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The Commissioner enjoined members of the public not to relent in their watchdog roles as residents but continue to inform government of any anomalies seen or experienced that may be dangerous to health and communal living.

He said his Ministry will step up monitoring activities of farmers to ensure that they conform with minimum set standard of farming, adding also that effort are ongoing to fish out more farms that are constituting health hazard to residents.

However, the owner of the pig farm, B. Bristoe, argued that his pig farm has been existing in the area long before many of the residential structures were erected.

The closure and evacuation exercise was carried out on Tuesday by officials of the Ministry of Agriculture in company of men of the Lagos State Task Force.

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