ABUJA – The Nigerian Veterinary Medical Association(NVMA) has protested and condemned the letter of invitation by Livestock Reforms Implementation Committee, which requested NVMA members to attend a three-day meeting in Abuja.
A release by the National President of NVMA, Dr Moses Arokoyo, condemned in strong terms the invitation of members of NVMA “to an unplanned meeting in Abuja,
when NVMA is having its on-going Congress and Annual General Meeting in Jos, Plateau State.”
Arokoyo, said the letter of invitation from Livestock Reforms Implementation Committee, threatens the National Congress of Veterinarians.
According to him, “The Nigerian Veterinary Medical Association is holding her 60th National Congress in the city of Jos, home to the profession as it took root in Vom, one hundred years ago.
“The Joy of this epoch making event with a significant milestone was however, turned sour when key members in attendance from the Veterinary Council, Academia and leading private sector Managing Directors received letters from the Livestock Reforms implementation Committee requesting them to an unplanned meeting in Abuja same time, 22nd -25th October, as the on-going Congress which also included the Annual General Meeting.”
Arokoyo said he was bewildered by this invitation of his members particularly because most of those confirmed to have received said letter had significant roles to play at the Congress and AGM.”
He said quite troubling was the fact that the print and social media had for months been awash with the advertisement of the Congress.
He noted sadly that the Congress which should be considered for participatory alignment by the Livestock Reforms Committee was now going to either suffer some set backs or the Veterinarians called fail to attend in which case their quality contributions in this formative stage of the Ministry of Livestock Development be scuttled.
The Nigerian Veterinary Medical Association(NVMA) queried why the newly created Ministry of Livestock Development should take-off on “a disadvantaged” position?
He, therefore, called for dispassionate commitment to nation building.
“As President, I am wondering who selected those to represent the national interests of the Veterinarians in Nigeria?
“Neither is the Council President, who is a member of the Reforms Committee aware of this planned meeting, something is not right”, he said
Meanwhile, Dr Arokoyo while speaking on the theme of this year’s conference, “A Centenary of Veterinary Service Delivery in Nigeria; Opportunities for Artificial Intelligence in National Food Security,”
expressed hope at the huge potential that lies in exploring the opportunities in Artificial Intelligence as expounded by the Keynote Speaker, Dr Mahaletchumy Arujanan, who flew in from Malaysia for the Conference.
Also speaking, Deputy Secretary General of United Nations, Amina Mohammed, who appreciated the resilience of the Veterinarians, restated their significant contribution to national food security.
It would be recalled that over one thousand Veterinarians attended the Congress.
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