Agriculture

FG, stakeholders strategise to enhance disease surveillance, reporting

The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Dr Mohammad Mahmood Abubakar has said that the ministry is in collaboration with relevant Stakeholders would strategise to enhance disease surveillance and reporting stating that disease reporting was a critical component of an effective programme for the prevention, control, and eradication of disease nationally, regionally and globally.

The Minister, represented by the Director, Department of Veterinary and Pest Control Services Dr Maimuna Habib, made this known at the Round Table Discussion with the Representatives of the Military, Para-Military, Nigeria Police Force and National Park Services in charge of animal disease control held in Abuja, recently.

Dr. Abubakar stated that the Ministry was responsible for formulating and implementing policies and programmes on agriculture development on behalf of the Federal Government which, includes matters relating to animal disease prevention and control, animal health and welfare, food safety and veterinary practice.

The minister revealed that ‘’there was little or no synergy between the ministry and relevant authorities in the area of animal disease reporting over the years, this he said has significantly affected the completeness of data on disease situation and has impacted negatively on our international obligation as a nation in reporting timely manner disease situation to international organizations’’.

He pointed out the benefits of disease reporting to include; Control of zoonotic diseases to ensure improved public health, Promotion of animal welfare, declaration and maintenance of a disease-free status, and implementation of a rapid response to mitigate the impact of a disease outbreak on the economy amongst others.

Earlier, in his opening remarks, the Permanent Secretary Dr Ernest Umakhihe, represented by Dr Peter Umanah stated that the Ministry through the Department of Veterinary and Pest Control Services plays a coordinating role by ensuring that the national Veterinary service in the country is in line with international standards and global best practices.

Dr Umakhihe added that “the ministry has embraced the recent effort in the area of implementing animal disease prevention and control programmes in the country in order to build a strong and resilience National Veterinary Services that would stand the taste of time”.

He, therefore, urged that deliberate steps must be taken to ensure the implementation of a robust animal health policy in the country.

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The PDP spokesman recalled how the opposition party had on various occasions alerted that the APC government had ceded sovereignty over a large portion of our country to terrorists, “many of whom were imported into our country by the APC.”

He further stated: “From the video, in a brazen manner, terrorists as non-state actors boldly showed their faces, boasting, admitting and confirming their participation in the Kuje Prison break, some of whom were former prison inmates who were either jailed or awaiting trial for their previous terrorism act against our country.

“Nigerians can equally recall the confession by the Governor of Kaduna State, Mallam Nasir el-Rufai that the APC government knows the plans and whereabouts of the terrorists but failed to act.

According to Ologunagba, about 18,000 Nigerians have been killed by terrorists between 2020 and 2022 “as the criminals continue to be emboldened by the failures and obvious complicity of the APC and to which the PDP had always drawn attention.”

“This is not politics; this is about humanity and leadership, which leadership sadly and unfortunately is missing in our country at this time,” he said.

The PDP added that it is appalled by “the lame response by the apparently helpless, clueless and deflated Buhari Presidency, wherein it told an agonizing nation that President Buhari “has done all and even more than what was expected of him as Commander in Chief by way of morale, material and equipment support to the military…”

“This is a direct admission of incapacity and failure by the Buhari Presidency and the APC. At such a time, in other climes, the President directly leads the charge and takes drastic measures to rescue and protect his citizens.

“In time of adversity, the President transmutes into Consoler-in-Chief to give hope and succour to the citizens. Painfully, Nigeria does not have a President who cares and can stand as Consoler-in-Chief to the citizens.

“It has now become very imperative for Nigerians to take note and realize that the only solution to this unfortunate situation is to hold the APC government accountable. We must come together as a people, irrespective of our political, ethnic and religious affiliations to resist the fascist-leaning tendencies of the APC administration.

Ologunagba called for an urgent meeting of the National Council of State to advise on the way to go over the nation’s worsening insecurity.

“Our nation must not fall. The resilient Nigerian spirit and ‘can-do- attitude’ must be rekindled by all to prevail on the President to immediately and without further delay, accede to the demand by the PDP and other well-meaning Nigerians to convene a special session of the National Council of State to find a lasting solution since the President has, in his own admission, come to his wit’s end,” the PDP spokesman declared.

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In her remarks, the Director, Department of Veterinary and Pest Control Services, Dr Maimuna Habib represented by Dr James Balami, stated that the Objective of the meeting was to create a platform for discussion and interaction aimed at providing the necessary synergy in the prevention and control of diseases through effective disease surveillance and reporting.

In his goodwill message, the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) official, Dr Guy Kouame said as veterinarians, they were not only responsible for animal health but humanity as well. He pointed out that there was no better time for collaboration and coordination in animal health and production than now.

Collins Nnabuife