'CREATE SEPARATE MINISTRY FOR LIVESTOCK' (Page 20

Story: Akwasi Ampratwum-Mensah, Sunyani

THE Principal of the Sunyani Polytechnic, Professor Kwasi Nsiah-Gyabaah, has called on the government to seriously consider the creation of a Ministry for Livestock so as to provide the needed impetus for growth and development.
He argued that the separation of that sector from the Ministry of Food and Agriculture would not only increase the resources needed to accomplish its tasks and responsibilities effectively and efficiently but also put it in a front line position in the treatment of new diseases.
Speaking at the 33rd Annual General Meeting of the Ghana Veterinary Medical Association (GVMA) in Sunyani, Prof. Nsiah-Gyabaah emphasised that the foundation of the dynamic growth in tourism in South Africa, Kenya and other East African Countries was the result of corporate support of veterinarians in maintaining diverse animal population in national parks and nature reserves.
He pointed out that any progress veterinary professionals could make to fight the spread of animal diseases would depend on hard work, determination and their capacity to undertake research and learn more to improve on their knowledge for the benefit of the people they served.
Prof. Nsiah-Gyabaah commended members of the association for the professional manner in which they handled the recent outbreak of the Avian Influenza (Bird Flu) in the country, which he said was acknowledged worldwide and had become the envy of many other African countries.
“The important role of the veterinary professionals was recognised when bird population came under serious threat as a result of the outbreak of bird flu in Togo and in Ghana. It was the first time that many people came to know about what veterinarians do and your role in controlling the spread of animal diseases,” he noted.
Dr Enoch B. M. Koney, the President of the GVMA, disclosed that barring any unforeseen circumstances, training of veterinarians would begin at the University of Ghana, Legon in Accra next year.
That, he said, would undoubtedly help improve human resource potential of the veterinary profession to the benefit of the country as new veterinarians would be trained and the few already in the system would have access to different professional training packages.
The Brong-Ahafo Regional Minister, Mr Ignatius Baffour-Awuah, in a speech read on his behalf, called on veterinarians to help remedy the problem of protein deficiency, adding, “I have no doubt of your technical capabilities and expertise to lift Ghana out of this protein deficiency syndrome.”