Osun Government on Wednesday appealed to Ponmo Dealers Association, Osun Chapter, to join forces with the Osun State Ministry of Agriculture to prevent importation of contaminated cow skin, popularly called “Ponmo” or “Kanda”, into the state.
According to it, the most worrisome are the “ponmos’’ soaked with formalin disinfectants.
Mr Adedayo Adewole, the Commissioner for Agriculture, in a statement by Mrs Segilola Babalola, the Press Officer of Osun Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, gave the charge during a stakeholders meeting with the Ponmo Dealers Association in Osun.
The forum was organised by the Department of Veterinary Services, Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security in Osogbo.
Adewole, represented by the Coordinating Director, Ministry of Agriculture, Mrs Adegbemisola Fayoyin, alerted that some persons in the state were selling cow skin that are of questionable source and obviously not fit for human consumption.
“Some of the cow skin had even spoilt during processing and not fit for human consumption, but somehow still found their way into the markets.
“There are some intruders in the business that are fond of importing these bad ponmo into the state and this has to be stopped,’’ the statement quoted Adewole as saying.
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Speaking earlier, Dr Abosede Olatokun , the Director of Veterinary Services, appreciated the Ponmo Dealers Association for their quick response to government’s call.
Olatokun said that the government was set to examine all the ponmo dealers in the state via the association and would not deal with individuals.
She urged members of the association to collaborate with the government in order to enjoy the attached benefits through their association.
According to her, the aim of the meeting with the association is to organise the ponmo dealers in such a way that they will receive sufficient inspection as is being done to Cattle and Butchers Associations.
She said that monitoring and inspecting activities of the dealers would assist the Public Health Department perform its duties, adding that ponmo is a common meat by-product which is highly consumed in the state.
Responding, the Chairman of the state’s Ponmo Dealers Association, Alhaji Abdulrasaq Adebimpe, commended the commissioner and organisers for the meeting.
Adebimpe, however, stated that there were lots of people in the state who did not care about the ponmo that enters the state.
He highlighted some of the challenges facing the association and called on the government to assist in addressing them.
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