By Ibrahim Ramalan
Abuja
An environmentalist, a wildlife expert from Sardauna local government area of Taraba state, Gills Gilbert Nyanganji, has called on the government to come to the aid of his people to prevent an impending health catastrophe and decay in infrastructure.
Nyanganji, who made the call yesterday while speaking with newsmen in Abuja, said his visit to the Gembu abattoir was an eyesore.
He said: “I found the place to be an eyesore and I shuddered at the risks that such unhealthy environment poses to the animals, traders, butchers, and the end consumers of whatever are produced from the abattoir.
“It was also another possible source of revenue for the local government rotting away. These examples are microcosms reflecting the larger state of infrastructure in Sardauna local government and the Taraba state government at large.”
On the dilapidating state of the historic Mohammadu Mansur Stadium in Gembu, he said: “Growing up as a boy in my hometown of Gembu, I remember playing football with my friends and classmates. Those days the stadium used to be a beehive of activities. Just a decade after, the stadium gets into a deplorable state.
“The infrastructure is largely dilapidated and the walls which provided it with security and closure were crumbling.
“If this stadium has been properly managed and maintained, it could prove to be a source of revenue for the local government. But this cannot happen right now given the state of what we have.”