By Olufemi Oni, Ilorin
The Kwara State Commissioner for Livestock Development, Hon. Oloruntoyosi Thomas-Adebayo, has charged vaccinators in the ongoing Anthrax Campaign in the State to be safety conscious and work together as a team, in order to achieve the purpose of the exercise.
Addressing the inoculators on Monday in Ilorin, the State capital, the Commissioner, who spoke through the Director Personnel, Finance and Supply of the Ministry, Mallam Yusuf Rafiu, urged them to be their brother’s keeper throughout the exercise, emphasising that the exercise became imperative in order to guide against zoonotic diseases in the State.
She said: “Anthrax is a bacteria zoonotic disease of economic and public health concern, affecting both animals and human beings, with a high degree of morbidity and mortality.
“Anthrax has the tendency to spread through trans-boundary movement of trade animals, mostly ruminants across state. So, to protect its spread, government initiated proactive measures towards the mitigation of the occurrence.”
Also speaking, the Director, Veterinary Services of the Ministry, Dr. Olugbon Abdullattef Saliman, admonished vaccinators to be professional in the course of discharging their duties, as he encouraged them to join hands together and work towards achieving the set goals.
Dr. Olugbon also charged them to be up and doing to ensure that they cover all the Livestock population in the State within the stipulated period.
In his remarks, Director Livestock, Alhaji Muhammad Umar Ahmed, called on livestock farmers in the State to seize the opportunity by bringing their animals for vaccination, adding that a team of Veterinary personnel from the Ministry of Livestock Development have been deployed in all the 16 Local Government Areas in the State to carry out the vaccination of animals.
Alhaji Muhammad also stressed the need for support and cooperation of Local Government Chairmen, Traditional Rulers and other Stakeholders, to ensure the success of the exercise.
The Director also advised the Inoculators to be steadfast, diligent and committed, while exhibiting a high sense of professionalism during the exercise to ensure adequate coverage.