BASG Commences Livestock Vaccination, Earmarked over 32 Million Naira for Campaign
By Bashir Hassan Abubakar
Bauchi State Government on Wednesday said it has approved and released the sum of 32,147,500,000 million naira for the conduct of the 2021 annual livestock vaccination campaign in the state.
Governor Bala Mohammed who launched the campaign at Galambi Cattle Ranch, said the money covered for vaccines, equipment and allowances for the exercise.
According to him, livestock rearing not only brings income to the people, but serves as means of supplementing protein requirements of the people as well as raw materials to industries.
He said his administration is aware of the significant contribution of the veterinary sub-sector in the area of public health, preventive medicine, food security and safety among others.
The governor said the sub-sector has equally been playing a big role in the control of emerging diseases most of which are zoonotic in nature.
“I understand that the consistent and sustained vaccination of livestock against various diseases is a way of controlling and eliminating diseases that has a devastating impact on our livestock.”
“Because of the efforts of the Bauchi State Veterinary Department in the disease reporting, the World Health Organisation for Animal Health through the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (FMARD) Department of Veterinary and Pest Control donated 6,000 doses of Anti-rabies vaccines to Bauchi State.”
Governor Mohammed said in an effort to ensure maximum support to veterinary profession, the state government decided to sustain the veterinary student’s manpower scheme inherited from the previous administration despite embargo on employment.
“This Administration has been maintaining and supporting the State Agency for Nomadic Education with a view to educating our teeming nomadic population thereby improving livestock production in the state.”
The governor said the state government has equally been collaborating with Federal Government on the full implementation of the National Livestock Transformation Programme to improve livestock sub-sector of the economy, reduce poverty, create awareness and bring the nomadic fulani closer to government.
“My Administration is aware of the activities of fulani organisations in promoting peaceful coexistence in the state, promoting the interest and wellbeing of pastoralists, wealth creation and conflict mediation particularly in the state.”
The governor used the medium to commend professional bodies in complementing the efforts of his administration in the area of animal production health and the general public health.
In a keynote address, the Chief Veterinary Officer of Nigeria, Dr Olaniran Alabi said rabies is one of the priority transboundary animal diseases where some of the constraints in the control of the disease is that majority of dogs are unliced , unvaccinated and allowed to room freely in the communities.
He said rabies is a highly fatal vital disease affecting all warm-blooded animals and noted that, it was transmitted through the bite of an infected animal or man with 99 percent fatality if efficient post exposure prophylaxis is not instituted early.
“I wish to specially appreciate His Excellency, the Executive Governor of Bauchi state, Senator Bala Abdulkadir for his continuous support and keen interest in all veterinary and livestock activities in Bauchi state.”
On his part, the State Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development, Samaila Burga said the state government has provided an enabling environment to enhance the production capacity of livestock farmers by tackling their challenges encountered in the process.
The Commissioner said eight hundred thousand livestock animals and six thousand rabies would be vaccinated in the 2021 livestock vaccination campaign.