Posted by From Josephine Lohor in Abuja on
President Olusegun Oba-sanjo yesterday denied that the Avian influenza, popularly known as Bird Flu, has been identified in Taraba State....
President Olusegun Oba-sanjo yesterday denied that the Avian influenza, popularly known as Bird Flu, has been identified in Taraba State.
Speaking to a delegation of the Poultry Association of Nigeria in the State House, Obasanjo said, 'it has not been diagnosed or classified as avian flu.
"I spoke to the Governor, who told me that in a backyard farm in Ibi, some birds were dying, and based on precedent, he ordered them slaughtered and the farm cordoned off. This is the normal thing to do."
He, however, said people should not just jump to conclusion but should await diagnosis, because as far he was concerned, it might just be some few birds that were affected in Taraba State.
'Nobody has the right to call this avian flu; no diagnosis has been carried out to ascertain the problem. It could be any of half a dozen chicken diseases," he said.
Obasanjo said he was satisfied with the action taken by the Taraba State Governor, and advised that 'Nigerians shouldn't rush to call themselves bad names, giving the nation a bad image without foundation."
He said the country now had 'enough equipment to contain any outbreaks of the avian flu, even to cover the West African sub-region," and commended members of the Poultry Association for the support they gave government during the unfortunate outbreak of the flu in February.
He welcomed the determination of the poultry farmers to begin exporting day-old chicks and hatchable eggs by November 2006, despite the six-month setback arising from losses from the flu, and said government would encourage the achievement of that goal.
He challenged them to set a target of $20 million export earnings by the end of the year, and spoke of the need to get support for the small farmers, since 'the banks will not touch their
business because it is small."
President Obasanjo also said the Federal Government would encourage state governments to include eggs in the school meal programmes and commended ministers for Agriculture, Health, and Information and National Orientation and their staff for the exemplary cooperation during the avian flu outbreak.
'Their cooperation stood out in Africa as an example on how to treat the avian flu," he said.
Earlier, Otunba Badmus, President of the Poultry Association of Nigeria, said the Association suffered losses amounting to N24
billion to the flu, and needed access to soft bank loans to be able to recover and begin export in November, 2006.
He stated the preparedness of the Association to provide sufficient eggs for the school feeding programme.