By Bola Bamigbola
The leadership of the Nigerian Veterinary Medical Association in Osun State, on Thursday, called on the government at all levels to employ more veterinary doctors and equip them with the necessary tools to protect animals in the country.
Speaking at an event marking World Veterinary Day in Osogbo, Osun State NVMA Chairman, Dr. Seyi Kolawole, said those who would be employed by the government should be deployed to roles that would enable them to contribute meaningfully to the promotion of public health.
Kolawole, who harped on the need to protect and care for animals as part of measures for the sustenance of the biodiversity that makes life meaningful for all, noted that there could not be an improvement in the welfare of animals without ensuring improved welfare for those that would take care of them.
He said, “So, we call on the government to employ more veterinary staff, equip them with the necessary tools, and deploy them to roles that enable them to contribute meaningfully to the promotion of public health.
“Here at home, since all politics is local, we appeal to the Executive Governor of Osun State, Ademola Adeleke, to urgently recruit veterinarians to beef up the workforce and fill yawning gaps in the veterinary component of One Health in Osun State.”
He commended the leadership of the Nigeria Police Force for its recent efforts to enforce the law on stray dogs, noting that the initiative started from Osun, where the police first indicated a determination to arrest stray dogs as it geared efforts towards curbing the spread of rabies.
According to him, veterinarians belong to the category of essential health workers, who have not been receiving due recognition and reward for their efforts.
Kolawole said, “This trend is fuelling a silent epidemic, which is the mass exodus of young veterinarians (japa).
“We appeal to the government to act urgently to address this trend by incentivising veterinarians to stay back and work in Nigeria.
“The multifaceted and pivotal roles of veterinarians in promoting national development can be seen through their involvement in public health, food sufficiency and food safety, national security crime prevention, and other avenues too numerous to list here.”