By Nicholas Dechi
Former Vice Chancellor, Federal University of Agriculture, Makurdi, Prof. Daniel Uza, has expressed worry that the herders and farmers crisis in Benue was being politicised.
Uza stated this during the investiture of Dr Andrew Amine as the 8th State Chairman of the Nigerian Veterinary Medical Association (NVMA), on Saturday in Makurdi.
The don said that it was because the issue had been politicised that most people that could have proffered solutions were scared of talking, so as not to be viewed as taking sides.
According to him, veterinary doctors have the real solution to the crisis, but they will offer it only when the authorities approach them for professional advice.
He noted that 60 to 75 per cent of diseases affecting human beings had their origin from animals.
Uza therefore, advised veterinary doctors to collaborate with relevant stakeholders to protect both human beings and animals.
Speaking earlier, Amine called on stakeholder,s both in the veterinary and human medicine, to collaborate in order to achieve one health for humans, as well as animals.
He also appealed to the guests to support the association to acquire land for its secretariat, stressing that if the association had a secretariat, it would be easier to ensure service delivery to the people.
Meanwhile, Dr Joshua Abuku, a former chairman of NVMA in Benue, expressed disappointment over veterinary doctors’ silence on the lingering crisis between herders and farmers in the state.
Abuku urged them to interact with the stakeholders so that they could proffer solutions and bring an end to the protracted crisis.
Also speaking at the event, the wife of Benue Speaker, Mrs Cynthia Dajoh, expressed confidence in the ability of Amine to deliver.
According to Dajoh, the new NVMA chairman has a very bright future ahead of him and will soar higher and higher. (NAN)
