The Conference of Directors of Veterinary Services in South-West region have called on governments to review hazard allowance paid to veterinaries.
Dr Taiwo Jolaoso, Chairman, Conference of Directors of Veterinary Services in the region stated this at the Maiden symposium of the Conference of Directors of Veterinary Services in South -West on Thursday in Lagos.
He said the in the face of global health challenges the review was to compensate for harms, risks and burdens associated with working as health personnel.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) report that the theme of the one-day symposium is “The Significance of Veterinary Service Delivery in Livestock Production”.
According to him, veterinary professionals are pivotal in the improvement and protection of animal and human health, animal welfare, food quality, food safety, food security, ecology, ethology and epidemiology,
“They also help in development of drugs and pharmaceutical, wild life conservation, educators, trainers and policy makers.
“The significance of the veterinarian in combating these diseases, preventing spread and ameliorating their effects can therefore not be over emphasise.
“Veterinarians as “front liners” are exposed to a high risk of contracting emerging, re-emerging and zoonotic diseases (Ebola, Leptospirosis,
Tuberculosis, Brucellosis, Anthrax and others.
“This justify the need for payment of hazard allowance to compensate for harms, risks and burdens associated with working as health personnel.
“Unfortunately, our services are undervalued and we are underpaid and the supposed hazard allowance veterinarians receive now is at best a farce.
“A first-order priority for policy makers should be keeping front line health workers and veterinarians safe on the job and payment of generous hazard allowance to compensate these officers and their families for the essential services they provide for public good.
Jolaoso noted that the symposium was aimed at creating awareness of some of the animal diseases with emphasis on methods of mitigating them.
In a goodwill message, the Chief Veterinary Officer of Nigeria, Dr Maimuna Abdullahi-Habib urged the DVS to familiarise themselves with recent laws guiding the profession to enable them do their jobs diligently.
Ms Abisola Olusanya, Lagos State Commissioner for Agriculture said that South-West is not very rich in livestock with only less than 10 per cent of the nation’s cattle and 5 per cent of small ruminants.
Olusanya stated this in her keynote address that thereby limiting its comparative advantage in natural resources, while its positioning was also limited further by reoccurrence of zoonotic diseases.
She was represented by the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry, Mrs Tokunbo Emokpae.
The commissioner said that to improve its position, Lagos had started the implementation of the cattle feedlot at Igbodu for increased local production of hygienic wholesome meat and reduction of dependency on imports from other states.
“As a form of improvement, government is in the process of recruiting more veterinary doctors to mitigate the effect of the current dearth in the distribution of veterinary doctors to livestock estates and settlements with a ratio of about 1:200.
“The low access to veterinary doctors in the veterinary centres in the state encourages some farmers to resort to using unapproved antibiotics for their livestock.
“Also, there is need to track and identify effective vaccines that would stem the improper and excessive use of antibiotics, as well as, inadequate infection prevention and control,” she said.
Olusanya assured the stakeholders that the Lagos state government had mapped out various strategies in its food systems and agricultural roadmap to ensure that Lagosians and the South-west states have access to wholesome and hygienic red-meat amongst other food.
She also solicited support from all willing stakeholders to be partners in the progress of the sector.
Dr Abubakar Suleiman, Assistant Representative Programme, UN Food and Agriculture Organisation, (FAO), stressed that Feedlotting remains the best option for not just Lagos and the South West region alone, but the entire country.
Suleiman spoke as the lead speaker on “Historical Perspective of Cattle Feedlotting in South West Nigeria”,
He called for an animal breeding policy in the country for uniformity of products, structured markets, as well as an enabling environment, surveillance and sanitary conditions amongst other recommendations.
The President, Nigeria Association of Animal Health and Husbandry Technologists, Mr Saliu Abubakar called on government at all levels to protect farmers from bandits.
The maiden symposium was attended by Commissioners for Agriculture in Ogun, Osun, Oyo, veterinarians, livestock farmers and traders, as well as consumers. (NAN)
