The National Hunters’ Association of Nigeria has told the government to stop telling Nigerians not to consume bush meat because it has affected their business drastically in the last few days and its also driving its members into unemployment.The association made this known while addressing journalists in Lagos during a conference held with journalists to address the situation.
The President of the group, Chief Ishola Olasehinde while speaking at the conference said;
“We want to use this medium to tell the government that our businesses have been affected since they have informed people to stop consuming bush meat to prevent Ebola. This is our only means of sustenance. Even if there is any virus in these animals, once they are boiled and fried, it gets killed. Government should include hunters in their research if they really want to prove that bush meat causes Ebola.
We hunters are the ones who protect the country’s borders from being invaded by nomads from Mali and Lake Chad. If not for our activities in the forest, Boko Haram members would have taken control of many cities in the country. This is not the way the government should reward us,” he said.
