‘No poisonous ‘Ponmo’ in Ondo’

By Fatima Muraina
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Cow skin,  popularly known as ‘Ponmo’,  produced in Ondo state is not poisonous, it has been declared.

The Ondo State Director of Veterinary Department of the Ministry of Agriculture  Dr. Bayo Ehinmowo made this declaration in a chat with The Hope in Akure, the Ondo state capital.

Ehinmowo said the state government has mounted surveilance in  all its border points to ensure that the poisonous product is not imported into  the state.

Apart from this,he also said that officers of his department have gone round the state to verify what is being sold at the selling points and the processing factories to ascertain the quality of the product.

Ehinmowo noted that  the ‘ponmo’ produced in the state is locally processed and that majority of them get it from the Abbattor at Onyearugulem Industrial Park while the dealers in dry skin get their supply from the Northern part of the country.

According to him, the  poisonous ‘ponmo’ in Lagos were imported from  overseas for the production of leather skin materials like bags, shoes and belts and not to be consumed.

The chemicalised skin for leather products,  he noted looks more refined than the one for consumption which is more costly than the ones for shoes and bags.

Ehinmowo further explained  that the poisonous one does not also attract flies like the consumable  ones.

He said the state quickly acted sometimes ago when it got information about the entrance of such ‘ponmo.’ The  culprit was arrested and  the warehouse sealed.

On monitoring the processors in the state, Ehinmowo said the processors are not allowed to make use of car tyres to  burn off the hairs of the skin because it is harzardous to humans health when consumed.