Edo Butchers Cry to Governor Obaseki To Remove Imposed State chairman

Concerned Members of the Butchers Association of Nigeria, Edo State chapter, have appealed to Governor Mr Godwin Obaseki to remove the purported State Chairman, Mr Akhere Odigie, who they said was never a butcher but imposed on the association by Obaseki’s government against their wishes, five years ago.

They said that the gross incompetence of Odigie is costing members millions of naira daily.

According to the association, butchers in the Edo State loses between N80,000 and N120,000 for each cow slaughtered in Benin City on a daily basis.

They also said that Odigie now goes about extorting monies at gun point from innocent butchers while threatening to close down the abbatoir on failure to pay up.

He is said to boast that he has the governor’s backing and is above the law.

A butcher, Hajia Bilikisu Sule said, “Many butchers are also indebted to banks and money lenders, besides the Cattle dealers. While some owe a minimum of N20million others owe N40million and above
to these cattle dealers.

“This includes women and even the Hausa people among us. Some have even sold their landed properties, houses and vehicles and other valuables to remain in business.

“Besides, all was well with us before the government imposed Odigie on the association in violation of the constitution of the Butchers association.

“We know that Odigie claims he is a relative of Governor Obaseki. That was why he was imposed him on us.

That is also why his ignorance of the code of conduct for all butchers since he was never a butcher himself.

He has engaged among other illegalities, high-handedness, abuse of office, extortion, thuggery and intimidation of members.

“Many butchers have left the public slaughter houses because their lives are at risk of the hired thugs who parade the arena daily and on the instructions of Odigie.

Even the said Odigie regularly goes about with armed thugs and threatens innocent butchers by shooting into the air.”

Another butcher Mr Ahmadu Muhammad said, “Inspite of everything going on which is clearly wrong and out of place, Odigie keeps boasting and telling anyone who cares to listen that, no one can remove them from office because he is a relative of the State Governor.

“The present situation is unacceptable because it has put many individual butchers into huge debts.

Butchers are all operating at a loss with huge investment and zero returns. We want Governor Obaseki to remove Odigie from office and pave the way for the conduct of a proper, open, free and fair election where qualified and competent butchers who have relevant experience can vie for offices.

“As a governor who was democratically elected through a popular election, it is only proper that Governor Obaseki will allow we butchers to benefit from the same democratic process by allowing us to hold a free and fair election to elect competent officials to run our affairs. “