KWALE/Nigeria: The Delta State Government has lauded the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (FMARD) for the donation of Animal and Health Veterinary Clinic to the State at Ogume in Ndokwa West Local Government Area.
The Delta State Commissioner for Agriculture and Natural Resources, Hon. Julius Egbedi who received the Clinic on behalf of the State Government said, “Let me on behalf of the His Excellency, the Governor of Delta State thank the Federal Government for this laudable gesture as this will go a long way in curtailing the spread of animal diseases in the State.”
According to Hon. Egbedi, “The clinic is an added advantage that will encourage farmers and youth out there to go into livestock production, poultry and a contact point to agricultural inquisition.”
The agriculture commissioner who revealed that there are government veterinary clinics in 14 local government areas already, stated that the one donated by the Federal Government was a boost to veterinary public health and animal healthcare generally.
He said that disease management entails a whole system strategy for which the state, local government and the federal government must synergize.
He promised that the facility would be put into judicious use by the Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resources, even as he said that the State Government would provide all the equipment needed for the facility to function optimally.
Earlier, the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Alhaji Sambo Mohammed represented by the State Director, Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Mr John Onovroke said that Delta State was one of the two states in the South South to benefit from the veterinary Clinic projects of the Federal Government in its 2017 budget.
Alhaji Mohammed stated that the establishment of the facility at Ogume was informed by the fact that the people are majorly cassava farmers and the peels from cassava is feed for pigs, hence the establishment of the facility would spur the people to go into piggery which is a veritable source of protein and to create job for the teaming population.
He stated that the federal and the state government are partners in progress as both will always go into collaboration to bring the dividends of democracy to the people of the State.
The agriculture minister appealed to the people of Ogume to see the project as their own and not government project and drive it for the betterment of the community.
On his part, the Community Development Chairman (CDC), Hon. Innocent Uzorga, thanked both the State and the federal Government for the establishment of the facility in their domain, even as he stated that the project would attract other projects to the community and he also appealed to the State Government to construct a drainage system that would take water out of the premises to the near-by stream as the place was a water-lodge area.
Present at the event were the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry, Mr Benneth Agama, the Chief veterinary Officer in the State, Dr Chalse Diai among others.
The highpoint of the event was the cutting of tape by Hon. Egbedi and the handing over of the facility to the Commissioner of Agriculture and Natural Resources by the representative of the Minister, Mr John Onovroke.
