The Yobe Pilot Livestock Development Programme (YPLDP) has expressed concern over unverified health status of livestock imported into the state by humanitarian organisations.
The Manager of YPLDP, Dr Mustapha Gaidam, Made the government’s position known in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Friday in Damaturu.
He said the programme had identified Contagious Bovine Pluro Pneumonia (CBPP), Black Quarter (BQ) and Pest Petit Ruminants (PPR), Tuberculosis, foot and mouth disease in animals imported by some humanitarian agencies for empowerment projects.
He added that “the Yobe Government had vaccinated over six million herds of cattle, goats, sheep and dogs against trans- boundary diseases and rabies from 2007 to date.
‘”These unchecked activities constitute great dangers to efforts of the state government to safeguard the health of animals and our desire to boost meat and dairy production.”
Gaidam cautioned that unhealthy animals and wrong species would not serve the purpose of economic empowerment for the displaced persons.
‘‘There is absolute need to consult professionals on selection of breeds, quarantine the animals to ascertain their health and treat unhealthy ones before distribution to the beneficiaries,” he noted.
He said the state had adequate veterinary doctors and other necessary manpower to effectively undertake clinical treatment of animals.
The manager commended the Food and Agricultural Organisation, Fadama III and International Fund for Agricultural Development for quarantining animals for checks and treatment before distributing to beneficiaries. (NAN)
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