The Special Adviser to the Governor on Livestock, Mr Liyel Imoukhuede, has charged staff of the Cross River State Ministry of Livestock, Aquaculture and Fisheries Development to embrace unity, professionalism and productivity to reposition the ministry and maximise its potential.
Imoukhuede gave the charge on Wednesday during a familiarisation meeting with the management and staff of the ministry, where he outlined ongoing initiatives and opportunities under the administration of Governor Bassey Edet Otu. He said the meeting was also aimed at understanding the challenges confronting the ministry and identifying practical ways of addressing them.
He expressed concern over the condition and utilisation of some government-owned livestock assets, particularly facilities that had previously been concessioned, urging the ministry to take greater interest in such assets. “These assets must be put to productive use and contribute to employment generation, food production and the economic development of the state,” he said.
The Special Adviser disclosed that Cross River was being positioned to participate in the Livestock Productivity and Resilience Support (L-PRES) programme, which provides opportunities for strengthening animal health services, veterinary infrastructure, abattoir development and capacity building across the livestock value chain.
He also revealed plans for a Livestock Integrated Hub with facilities including a veterinary clinic, cold-chain infrastructure, abattoir, training facilities and conference spaces, while noting that the state was exploring opportunities in the honey sector and other federal capacity-building programmes.
Imoukhuede said the state would introduce an online enumeration and traceability system for livestock farmers, explaining that the first phase would involve registration and creation of a comprehensive database, while the second phase would geo-locate farms, map their sizes and upload relevant information. “We need reliable data to know what we have, where they are and how best to plan interventions,” he said.
He urged staff to take ownership of the ministry’s visibility, stressing that promoting its activities should not be left to the Information Officer alone. “Every staff member should be an ambassador of the ministry,” he said, encouraging them to use appropriate professional and social media platforms to showcase programmes and opportunities capable of attracting partnerships and investments.
The Special Adviser assured staff that relevant personnel would be carried along in programmes and capacity-building initiatives, adding that discussions were ongoing with development organisations, including the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), on opportunities for capacity development.
He said the administration was committed to addressing identified gaps and creating a conducive environment for staff to perform effectively, while calling for stronger collaboration among the livestock, veterinary, fisheries and aquaculture components of the ministry.
Responding to the engagement, the Head of Planning, Research and Statistics, Mr Mitre Eyong, called for regular staff meetings to improve communication and coordination. He also advocated the provision of demonstration farms and ponds that could serve staff and students on industrial attachment.
The Director of Veterinary Services, Dr Efenji Alem Moses, highlighted the need for greater attention to animal health, prevention of zoonotic diseases, international partnerships and fisheries development, while other staff raised concerns about welfare, training, office equipment, the fisheries laboratory and better utilisation of government assets.
By Arit Ubi
