A former Chairman of the the Ikeja Branch of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Dr Monday Ubani, on Wednesday, September 21, 2022, appealed to the Federal Government to sustain the consumption of animal skin locally called “Ponmo”.
He threatened that the Section on Public Interest and Development Law (SPIDEL), will seek redress in court if the ponmo ban is actualised.
Ubani made the appeal in a statement made available to newsmen in Lagos, following what he described as a threat to ban the consumption of animal skin.
The Quest Times reports that the Director-General of the Nigerian Institute of Leather and Science Technology (NILEST), Prof Muhammad Yakubu, revealed that the institute is proposing legislation to ban the consumption of ponmo to stimulate the leather industry in Nigeria.
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However, Ubani said that “ponmo” was an important element in the daily meals of many Nigerians, stating that banning its consumption might pose difficulty to those eating it.
According to Ubani, who is the Chairman of the NBA Section on Public Interest and Development Law (SPIDEL), the section will seek the court’s protection, if the ban is executed.
He said that “ponmo” had been reputed to be a poor man’s delicacy and was enjoyed by the average Nigerian.
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He said that banning its consumption might cause inconveniences on the common man
“The local delicacy called ponmo is the most common delicacy enjoyed by the average citizen due to its affordability, given that fish, meat and other sources of protein have become very expensive and unaffordable by the common man.
“The truth is that ponmo remains the most constant protein or meat-like substance in the common man’s stew and soups,” he said.
Ubani urged the government to reconsider its stance so as not to occasion hardship on the common man.
According to him, millions of Nigerians consider “ponmo” too palatable to be taken off their dining tables, especially when it remains the only affordable substance that has a semblance of meat or fish.