LETTER FROM LIVESTOCK REFORMS IMPLEMENTATION COMMITTEE THREATENS NATIONAL CONGRESS OF VETERINARIANS

The Nigerian Veterinary Medical Association is holding her 60th National Congress in the city of Jos home to the profession as it took root in Vom one hundred years ago.

The Joy of this epoch making event with a significant milestone was however turned sour when key members in attendance from the Veterinary Council, Academia and leading private sector Managing Directors received letters from the Livestock Reforms implementation Committee requesting them to an unplanned meeting at Abuja same time, 22nd -25th October, as the on-going Congress which also included the Annual General Meeting.

The National President, Dr Moses Arokoyo was bewildered by this invitation of his members particularly because most of those confirmed to have received said letter had significant roles to play at the Congress and AGM. He said quite troubling was the fact that the print and social media had for months being awash with the advertisement of the Congress. He noted sadly that the Congress which should be considered for participatory alignment by the livestock reforms committee was now going to either suffer some set backs or the Veterinarians called fail to attend in which case their quality contributions in this formative stage of the Ministry of Livestock Development be scuttled.
“Why start like this?”, he asked.
Why turn the blessed pronouncement of this ministry by Mr President, Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu,GCFR to a disadvantaged take off?

Meanwhile, Dr Arokoyo while speaking on the theme of this year’s conference, A CENTENARY OF VETERINARY SERVICE DELIVERY IN NIGERIA; OPPORTUNITIES FOR ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE IN NATIONAL FOOD SECURITY expressed much hope at the huge potential that lies in exploring the opportunities in artificial Intelligence as expounded by the Keynote Speaker, Dr Mahaletchumy Arujanan who flew in from Malaysia for the Conference.

A Special message was also delivered to the gathering of over one thousand Veterinarians by the Deputy Secretary General of United Nations, Her Excellency Amina J. Mohammed,GCON who appreciated the resilience of the Veterinarians and reinstated their significant role in national food security.

Eminent personalities; Governors, Managing Directors of Companies, Permanent Secretaries, FAO-ECTAD, ECOWAS et al were present and represented at the Congress. Indeed the Governors of Yobe, His Excellency Honourable Mai Mala Buni,CON and Bauchi state, His Excellency Senator Bala Mohammed, were amongst awardees including the first lady of Borno State, Her Excellency Dr Falmata Babagana Umara Zulum who were honoured at the Opening Ceremony on the 22nd of October for their exemplary contributions and support to the Veterinarians and livestock development in their states.

The President of the Nigerian Veterinary Medical Association lamented this development and called for dispassionate commitment to nation building. “As President, am wondering who selected those to represent the national interests of the Veterinarians in Nigeria? neither is the Council President who is a member of the Reforms Committee aware of this planned meeting, something is not right”, he said