By Philomina Attah/ Kudirat Ogunyemi
Abuja – The Minister of State for Agriculture and Rural Development, Sen. Heineken Lokpobiri, says the Federal Government will partner with Veterinary Council of Nigeria to provide standard abattoirs for healthy meats.
Lokpobiri said this when he received the Nigerian Veterinary Medical Association led by its National President, Dr Edgar Amos, in Abuja on Tuesday.
He said that it was important to have standard abattoirs across the city centres to ensure safe meat and to prevent citizens from contracting diseases.
“When you go to where they slaughter these cows that we eat, you won’t be able to eat meat again in this country.
“It is unfortunately that there is no standard abattoir in the country. We want to see how we can collaborate with the council to provide standard abattoir to guaranty safe meat.
“We will also see how we can find solution to the diseases like the avian influenza, foot and mouth disease, lassa fever and so on,” he said.
According to him, government is providing vaccines for these diseases in order to control the further outbreak in the country.
Earlier, Amos said the mandate of the veterinary profession was to prevent, treat and control animal and zoonotic diseases in the country.
“Our professional duties have implications for agricultural development, job creation, food security, national security and public health.
“As veterinary doctors, we have a critical role to play in ameliorating Nigeria’s contemporary challenges such as the need for economic diversification, insecurity and debilitating diseases like lassa fever.’’
Amos urged the Federal Government to renew impetus in containing animal and zoonotic diseases such as bird flu, Anthrax, African Swine fever and Rabies.
He also reminded the minister of the forthcoming 6th African Veterinary Association/53 Nigerian Veterinary Medical Congress which comes up at Enugu in October.