Nigeria, June 7, 2016 -sThe Lagos State Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode has ordered closure of all pig farms located in residential areas within the state as part of effort to ward-off health hazards associated with the practice of pig farming in residential areas.
This closure order came on 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 to Governor Akinwunmi Ambode published in the Punch Newspaper publication of Tuesday 7th June, 2016 has shut down the pig farm and confiscated some of the animals in the farm.
Commissioner for Agriculture, Mr. Toyin Suarau who led a team of agric officers for the exercise said that the attention of the Governor was drawn to the petition sent by Wisdom Uzoma adding that the Governor being a responsive and responsible leader share in the resident concern and thus ordered the immediate closure of the farm to forestall the outbreak of any disease.
“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 settlement or estate 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.
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 on-going to fish out more farms that are constituting health hazard to residents.
However, the owner of the pig farm Mr. Bristoe argued that his pig farm has been existing in the area long before many of the residential structures were erected.
