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SOME pastoralists in Gombe State on Friday commended the Federal Government’s launch of the 2022 nationwide free mass vaccination against Trans-boundary Animal Diseases (TADs) for the North East.
The pastoralists gave the commendation in separate interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Dadin-Kowa community.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the vaccination was launched on Thursday at Rugar Jauro Mu’azu in Dadin-Kowa community, Yamaltu/Deba Local Government Area of the state.
The Federal Government had, during the exercise provided over two million doses of vaccines to support the six states in the zone.
Malam Modibbo Yaya, the Gombe State chairman of Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN), said the exercise would boost the livestock sub-sector.
Yaya said since Nigerians depended on livestock for their daily proteins, it was imperative to ensure the good health for livestock which Nigerians eat, hence the vaccination would help improve the health of citizens.
According to him, the vaccination will help purify the meat from the livestock and ensure that Nigerians take in healthy meat.
He said that with the contributions of the livestock sector to the nation’s economy, such vaccination was key to reduction of cattle mortality while boosting the health of livestock.
Yaya appealed to the Federal Government to open the Wawa-Zange grazing reserve for use by pastoralists in the state.
He said, “Since it is over 70 per cent completed so that our members can access quality health services and good water supply to boost the livestock sector.”
Also speaking, Alhaji Sani Muhammadu, a pastoralist in Dadin-Kowa community said he had no fewer than 100 cattle and other livestock.
Muhammadu said the gesture was commendable as pastoralists in his community had suffered some losses in the past from TADs.
According to him, since the coming of Gov. Inuwa Yahaya of Gombe State, the livestock sub-sector had been given due attention in terms of free vaccination to reduce animal mortality and boost pastoralists’ income in the state.
Muhammadu also commended Yahaya for putting security measures in place to ensure that farmers and pastoralists live in peace in the state.
Lawali Mohammed, Secretary to Sarkin Fulani, Yamaltu, said the effort of the Federal and Gombe State governments to livestock improvement had given hope to pastoralists.
“Before now we usually go to Jos to get some of this vaccination but now it has come to us in our community, this is being concerned about the plight of pastoralists, so I thank the Federal and Gombe State governments,” he said.
He appealed to the government to come to the aid of his members from the state who migrated to other states, but attacked and their cattle either killed or rustled.
On his part, Bello Abubakar, another pastoralist said the vaccination was a welcomed development to keep their livestock healthy and to boost productivity.
He, however, appealed to the Federal Government to establish nomadic schools within their colonies to ensure that the young pastoralists are well-educated.
He said that “Most of the cattle rustling are done by our brothers but if we have schools to educate them on the dangers of their acts on the society and the economy of the nation, it will help a lot.” (NAN)
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Tags: Alhaji Sani Muhammadu Bello Abubakar Inuwa Yahaya Lawali Mohammed MACBAN Malam Modibbo Yaya TADs
