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FG Proposes Ban On ‘Ponmo,’ Consumers Kick

Published

3 years ago

September 24, 2022

Editor

Some Nigerians have kicked against the proposed plan by the Federal Government to ban the consumption of cooked cow skin, popularly known as ponmo.

Recall that the Director General of the Nigerian Institute of Leather and Science Technology, Zaria, Prof. Muhammad Yakubu, recently said the institute and other stakeholders would be approaching the National Assembly and state governments to establish a legislation to ban the consumption of the cow skin.

According to him, the decision is aimed at reviving the moribund tanneries and leather industry in the country.

He said it had no nutritional value and should be proscribed to save the industry and boost the nation’s economy.

However, some consumers, traders and experts who spoke to our correspondent in separate interviews, said banning ponmo would further increase economic hardship on the poor masses.

A consumer, Rukayat Ishola said she was substituting beef and fish with ponmo as a result of the high cost of the protein.

She said, “Personally, I like ponmo. It’s something many of us eat now since meat and fish are costly. It’s also good for elderly people. If you have N200, you will buy ponmo which can serve five people whereas the least you can get is beef that will be N1,000 and it’s just five pieces or less.

“If the government decides to ban it, they want to inflict hunger on the people because the person that does not have money for meat will buy ponmo. I buy in large quantities, fry and keep it for cooking later, and sometimes, my children take it to school.”

Another consumer based in Ibadan, Titilayo Oyinlola, also said, “I will advise them not to ban it because a lot of us can’t do without eating it, not only because we enjoy it but because it saves money.

“For example, I came to this market to buy things, my initial plan was to buy N2,000 fish, but when I saw the size of fish they offered me, I had to change my mind. So, I decided to buy two Titus fish at N700 each then and one ponmo at N300, making a total of N1,700. My brother, things are tough and one needs to work with budget.”

A caterer and Chief Executive Officer of Bimras Catering Services, Rasaq Balikis, said when planning for events, it was advisable to mix ponmo with meat or fish in order to save cost.

“Most occasions, if you don’t garnish vegetables with ponmo and dried fish, people don’t like it. People want to feel a different taste when eating vegetables and this is what ponmo and dried fish does.

“It also helps with cost reduction when planning for events because instead of serving two meats, you can serve one ponmo, one meat or fish.

“Assuming you are having a party and you bought a meat of N100,000, if you realise that it’s not enough, you can buy one bag of ponmo which is around 60 pieces to substitute it and it will be okay. So, banning it will affect Nigerians a lot,” she added.

Another caterer, Fatimah Sulaiman, stressed that eating cow skin was mostly required by the elderly people, adding that medical doctors would always recommend it for the elderly people who were at risk of eating beef.

She maintained that such banning would leave such people with no alternative.

On his part, Kabiru Agbon, a cow skin trader, said banning the consumption of ponmo would mean taking away his livelihood.

“Ponmo, as far as I know, is for eating; there is the white one they call bokoto. Why will the government want to ban this now? Don’t you know banning it is an attempt to cause problems and taking away the source of income of many of us? It’s just not possible.”

In the same vein, the Chairman, Butcher and Meat Sellers Association, Bola Ige International Market, Ibadan, Ishola Olalekan, stated that any attempt to ban the consumption of cow skin would not only affect the consumers, but also take away jobs from some Nigerians.

“In olden days, cow skin was mainly used by our fathers for praying mats and some other leather forms. No one ate it before but when civilization set in, people began to process it for consumption. Now that lots of Nigerians are eating it and it has become a daily job for many, banning it will have an effect on a lot of people.

“There are people that depend on the processing and another set in charge of the sales before you now talk about those consuming it. What will they be doing after the ban,” Olalekan queried.

An expert and dietician at Diadem Nutrition and Dietic Consult, Queen Orji, said banning ponmo to revitalise the leather industry is not justifiable, stressing that though it did not contain protein, it served many Nigerians as food.

According to her, the ban of the food item, which is used by people from the eastern and western part of the country, is an attempt to deny the majority of poor people the opportunity of having the cheap cow skin.

“Ponmo is cheap and affordable, and for many, eating it with food is more like they have taken beef. Though it doesn’t add any protein or fat to the consumers, people enjoy it. I’m sure if they ban it, many people will not be happy,” Orji said.
PUNCH

News

Published

9 minutes ago

September 1, 2025

Editor

Members of the Peoples Democratic Party loyal to the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, are currently meeting with the minister at his official residence in Abuja.

The meeting, which began at 8.40pm, has entered a closed-door session.

Among the top-ranking members of the party present are the National Secretary of the PDP, Sam Anyanwu; National Vice Chairman (South-South), Dan Orbih; and former Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom.

News

VIDEO: Motorists Stranded As Bridge Fails On Lagos-Benin Expressway

Published

17 minutes ago

September 1, 2025

Editor

Motorists and passengers were stranded for hours after a truck fell near a failed portion of a bridge along the Isoko axis of the Lagos-Benin Expressway, exposing the river beneath and rendering the route impassable.

A viral video from the scene showed queues of trapped vehicles as frustrated road users called on the Minister of Works, David Umahi, to urgently repair the dilapidated sections of the highway.

One stranded passenger, who was filmed in the video, lamented that the incident left commuters stuck for over two hours, halting both vehicular movement and the flow of goods.

He said, “I’m currently standing on the Benin-Lagos Expressway, and where we are now is Isoko Camp. This is a bridge, a very short bridge, and this message is to the Minister of Works, Dave Umahi, the one who is building a road from Lagos-Calabar Highway, the road to nowhere. This place is currently shut down.

“This truck fell here, and there’s no way. Look at this place. Vehicles are blocked. Look this way, everywhere packed up.”

The visibly frustrated commuter revealed the deteriorating state of the bridge, pointing to exposed sections above the river, which he described as a threat to lives and businesses.

He criticised the Federal Government’s focus on the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway project, accusing Umahi of neglecting critical economic routes such as the Lagos-Benin Expressway.

“This is an expressway, and we have a minister. This is the Lagos-Benin Expressway yet, our minister, dey do Lagos – Calabar Highway,” he said.

“This is what we have. Do you know how many people pass here? As I’m speaking to you now, if you look up, trailer. If you know the number of trailers that are here and are trapped, it means the economy of Nigeria is affected. Because the number of goods and services has been shut down. Everywhere is shut down.

“This road now, everywhere is at standstill. This vehicle is even lucky that it didn’t fall into the water. And we have a Minister of Works wasting money, saying Calabar Expressway.”

He further argued that the Lagos-Benin Expressway carries more economic importance than the Lagos-Calabar Highway, urging the minister to prioritise repairs.

He said, “Mr. Minister, let me educate you. If you have a small economic sense, you will know that this road alone is affecting Nigeria’s economy. But that Calabar Expressway, it’s not affecting anybody. If you go there now, you won’t see vehicles parked lined up there. The only place where you will see vehicles lined up is on this road. So if the Minister has more direction, he will go and fix this road.

“I see when they say they need more money, they are borrowing more money to put in the road we don’t use. Then the one we use is abandoned. So please, those who are close to the Minister, talk to him. We are stranded here now. We have been here for over two hours now, and nothing is moving.”

The video has gained the attention of concerned citizens on social media, some of whom describe the road as a “death trap” and joined in calling for quick intervention on the road.

Watch video below:

https://x.com/MobilePunch/status/1962577345832714466?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1962577345832714466%7Ctwgr%5Edf307ccd0eb71fe84e2d24b726307513398112b3%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fpunchng.com%2Fvideo-motorists-stranded-as-bridge-fails-on-lagos-benin-expressway%2F

News

Bauchi Govt Inaugurates Pastors, Imams Peace Building Committee

Published

2 hours ago

September 1, 2025

Editor

Gov. Bala Mohammed of Bauchi state has inaugurated a 32- member Pastors/Imams peace building Committee to promote peaceful coexistence in Bogoro and Tafawa Balewa Local Government Areas of the state.

Speaking during the inauguration ceremony on Monday, the governor said the move was necessitated by the need for the government to consolidate on the peace it had built and sustained over the last six years.

According to him, this peaceful coexistence had recently been threatened by the actions of unpatriotic elements within the state who didn’t wish the state well and were bent on hiding under the cover of farmer-herder clashes to taint the gains Bauchi has made so far.

While acknowledging that minor incidences are common, especially during the farming season, Mohammed said that the dimension of the recent threats in the areas was indicative of a deliberate attempt to cause disharmony.

He said it was to also portray the state in bad face in order to sully the recognition it had attained as one of the most peaceful states in not just the Northeast sub-region but in the country at large.

“We will not allow our hard earned peaceful coexistence to be truncated by the special grace of Allah. We have invested massively over the last six years in security and peace building measures and mechanisms.

“I will not allow anyone, no matter how highly placed, to scuttle the serenity and harmony that we have attained upon which our development and growth lies. I will deal decisively with all shenanigans fueling this crisis.

“I want to assure the citizens of the state that we are working very hard and continuously with the security agencies to contain every situation around the state”, he said.

The governor said the committee is to embark on religious, sensitisation to promote peaceful coexistence and encourage inter-group communication.

He said they are to also mediate disputes and foster dialogue between different groups where necessary, act as bridges by leading initiatives for inter-faith dialogue and understanding.

Mohammed added that they are to utilize their religious institutions to provide the platforms for community engagement and mobilisation of people towards peace building efforts, influencing attitude and behaviors.

The committee, the governor said, is to leverage on the teachings of religious sacred texts to inspire others to embrace the values of love, forgiveness, eschew hatred and violence.

Responding, Rev. Benson Bature and Imam Faidu Musa, Chairmen, Council of Imams and Pastors of the two LGAs who are the co-Chairs of the committee vowed to discharge their assigned duties even if they would have to pay with their lives.

They said they knew the miscreants were being pushed by some people that didn’t want peace to reign in the two LGAs, pledging to fish them out and hand them over to the authorities.

According to them, this would be done in no distant time as the religious leaders were working in unison, adding that even if a member of the committee is found culpable, he would be handed over to the authorities.