Lawmakers Reject Bill To Ban Consumption Of Dog Meat In Akwa Ibom

A bill seeking to criminalise dog meat consumption in Akwa Ibom State has suffered a significant setback, as 25 out of the 26 members failed to support the motion.

LEADERSHIP checks revealed that dog meat is a popular delicacy, mostly consumed with palm wine by most people in Akwa Ibom and neighbouring Cross River States.

In major towns, cities, and villages, such delicacies laced with periwinkle and scented leaves are familiar sights at roadside spots, including vendors balancing pots of dog meat on their heads for willing customers and pedestrian patrons.

However, the House of Assembly member representing Etinan State Constituency, Hon. Uduak Ekpoufot, argued that it was in bad taste and primitive habits to brutally kill dogs, primarily used as pets and for security purposes, for consumption.

The motion presented before the House during Wednesday’s plenary session, requesting the discontinuation of the illicit consumption and sale of dog meat, was unanimously rejected by the lawmakers, who stopped it from scaling through the first.

The bill failed to scale through the floor of the Assembly after it received no seconder during plenary.

Ekpoufot had raised strong concerns over the inhumane slaughter of dogs, the unhygienic conditions involved, and the serious public-health risks associated with dog-meat consumption.

He argued that, “The methods used to kill dogs were cruel, often involving strangulation, blunt-force trauma, or repeated blows, leading to severe animal suffering before eventual death of the animal.”

The lawmaker further warned that poorly processed dog meat exposes consumers to dangerous pathogens, such as rabies, salmonella, and trichinella, as well as other parasites, stressing that the practice has been banned in several countries due to safety concerns.

But despite the presentation, the motion failed to progress as it did not receive a seconder — a mandatory requirement under House rules.

In the absence of any lawmaker to second the motion, the Speaker, Elder Udeme Otong, declared it rejected, resulting in its automatic collapse.