Fed ministry of Agric bemoans number of veterinary doctors, says 8 not adequate for over a one million cattle,sheep, goat in the state
Chima Azubuike, Gombe
Mohammed Inuwa, Director, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Gombe State has bemoaned the number of veterinary doctors working in the state.
According to him, the state has just 8 qualified veterinary doctor to tend over one milllion herds consisting of cattle, sheep and goats.
Inuwa made this disclosure on Tuesday, in his address during the State wide vaccination campaign against contagious Bovine Pleuro-Pneumonia (CBPP) in cattle and Pestes Des Petits Ruminants (PPR) in sheep and goats, held at Gadam, Kwami Local Government Area.
He said, “In this light it may interest the Governor to note that present Gombe state has eight (8) qualified serving the entire 11 Local Government Areas. This is in abeyance to the recommend minimum of one veterinary doctor per local government area by the Veterinary Council of Nigeria (VCN).
” Your Excellency, you will agree with me that the number of veterinary personnel is grossly inadequate for the state with over one million livestock spread across 11 LGAs.
“Like oliver twist, we still request for the complete renovation and full equipping of our veterinary clinics in the state, provision of ambulatory vehicles and motor cycles necessary for the smooth operation of veterinary in the state.”
The director further said the Wawa zange reserve covers 4 LGA’s, “Gombe has one of the largest gazetted grazing reserves in Nigeria with a land area of over 140,000 spread across Dukku, Kwami, Funakaye, and Akko Local Government Areas of the state,” Inuwa added.
On his part, Gombe State Commissioner for Agriculture, Muhammadu Magaji, also appealed to the governor, Muhammadu Yahaya to employ more veterinary doctors.
“I wish to appeal to the governor to kindly and graciously consider the employment of more staff into the ministry, many have retired without replacement. Currently there are eight (8) veterinary doctors and twenty (20) superintendents, this number is grossly inadequate and can not effectively cater for the number of animals and other veterinary facilities in the state,” he said.
