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| Ebola killing business for bush meat sellers. |
First it was the Hunters Association of Nigeria that felt the need to voice out their worries over the Ebola scare,and now,bush meat sellers in Oyo State have taken their
case to the Governor of Oyo state,Abiola Ajimobi in Ibadan complaining of low patronage due to the outbreak of ebola disease. Speaking on behalf of the association, Alhaja Risikat Odeyemi, Iyalode, Bushmeat Sellers Association, Oyo, said
“Our meats do not have any Ebola virus. We don’t know why people should just be peddling rumour that would be injurious to other people. This is not good at all. They have spoilt our business without any good reason. What we heard is that the disease was contacted through the river. Why should they be so unfair?”They said before the announcement, a grass cutter was being sold between N2,000 and N4,000 and the same thing goes for antelope and other animals. But, now they regretted that there are no sales again.
“We normally stand by the roadside to invite prospective buyers. But, now when we call them to buy bush meats they always reply us saying, “Ebola”. It is the same meat we have been eating and nothing has happened to us”, Odeyemi said.These bush meat sellers should try to exercise caution for now,cos no one really knows the level of the Ebola virus is at for now.Even if the bush meats are Ebola free,it is understandable for the people or consumers to be cautious for now.One will be crazy to jump back on the bush meat bandwagon now when in some quarters it is being said bush meats are one of the main carriers of the disease. I hope a solution is reached really soon,cos these people do have families to feed.It is their livelihood,i can understand why they are being anxious.