L-PRES National Project Coordinator, Storms Taraba For Compartmentalization And Zoning
By Our Correspondent
The National Project Coordinator (NPC), Livestock Productivity and Resilience Support Project, (L-PRES), Dr. Sanusi Abubakar, arrived Jalingo, the Taraba State Capital, en route to Gembu for compartmentalization and zoning.
This is contained in a Press Release by the Communication and ICT Officer of the Agency in Taraba State, Mr Ezra Artimas.
Dr. Sanusi was received by the State Project Coordinator, (SPC) L-PRES, Mr. Hananiah G. Albert, alongside the Project Implementation team, at the Project Coordination Office, Jalingo, over the weekend.
The National Project Coordinator, who was accompanied on the national assignment by the Lead Consultant on the compartmentalization, also a former Chief Veterinary Officer of Nigeria, Dr. Maimuna Habib, Consultant on compartmentalization Dr. Dahiru Murtala and the Animal Health Specialist from the L-PRES NCO Dr. Mustafa Mohammed, and the Representative of investors and other National officers, were on their way to Mambila Plateau, Gembu, the administrative headquarters of Sardauna Local Government Area of Taraba State, for compartmentalization and Zoning.
In a brief meeting with the Project implementation Unit (PIUs) members, Taraba, L-PRES before proceeding to Gembu, the NPC congratulated Taraba L-PRES as one out of the twelve competing states that was chosen for the establishment of the Livestock Service Center( LSC) in Nigeria.
Dr Abubakar, noted that for Taraba State to be chosen for such a national project is not a mean feat, advising the Project implementation team to brace up for the enormous tasks ahead of them, adding that such great fortune comes with a lot of responsibilities.
He specifically charged the Social safeguard, Environmental and Gender officers to ensure that the issues of social safeguard, and environmental safeguard and other related issues are addressed by January, since they have the design in place and should therefore, apply for the disbursement to carry out the activities.
He, pointed out that the team is free to select any value chains of its choice, noting that the NCO is also targeting Mambila Plateau for Value chains and pasture development as well as compartmentalization and zoning.
He stressed that already investors from Saudi Arabia and Qatar are waiting for them as such they have little or no time to waste, given the importance of the project in view, and sued for support from the Taraba Implementation team to enable them succeed.
Dr. Sanusi stated that the success of the compartmentalization and the zoning exercise is to the credit of the SCO because it would woo investors to the state should the project succeed.
On her part, the lead consultant Dr. Maimuna Habib said she was not surprised that Taraba was chosen for the project because the state was rated as number one under the Fadama project.
She noted that when one performs excellently in any given assignment, everyone will be there for you, harping on the spirit of sincerity in handling any assignment even as she lauded the woman that headed the Fadama project in Taraba state for being able to sustain the project single handedly.
She enthused that if the project in view succeeds, it would bring worth to the state.
Dr. Maimuna tasked the PIUs to grab the opportunity given to them and be grateful that the NPC is from their zone and has done so much for the zone as such they should not abuse the privilege by delivering on the mandate.
She spoke of the importance of being sincere, stressing that she would never be a party to any project that would not stand the test of time and advised the PIUs to muster every arsenal at their disposal to ensure that the project sees the light of the day.
In his submissions, the Animal Science Specialist, L-PRES NCO, Dr. Mustapha Mohammed, explained that the aim of compartmentalization in Gembu is to create an area and to carry out certain activities in that area over time until they achieve a disease free status.
He revealed that there are diseases that constitute a technical trade barrier, adding that what it means was that those diseases were endemic to Nigeria as such they cannot trade with other european countries because they did not have such diseases.
According to him, when animals from Nigeria are exported to such countries, they are instituting those diseases that are alien to them because those diseases are transborder.
He noted that they want to achieve an environment free of such diseases by mapping of an area that is going to be dedicated as zones compartment, by carrying out certain baseline surveillance of the prevalent diseases in the area and to do rigorous mass vaccinations to ensure those diseases are completely eliminated.
Earlier, in his welcome remarks, the State Project Coordinator, L-PRES Taraba, Mr. Hananiah G. Albert, thanked the NCO for selecting Taraba State for such an elephant project, noting that it was one of its kind in Nigeria.
He also expressed his deepest appreciation to the NPC whose initiatives he said has cropped up such ideas.
