Ishaku sets to establish model ranch, livestock training center
BY Christiana Babayo
The Taraba state Government has taken a step towards establishing a model ranch and Livestock Training Centre along Wukari-Takum Road, in Takum Local Government Area of the state.
The Commissioner for Information, Hon. Danjuma Adamu revealed this development during a periodic press briefing in Jalingo recently.
He said the development was in line with the Federal Government’s National Livestock Transformation Plan (NLTP) which aims at minimizing herders and farmers’ clashes, promoting modern agriculture and animal husbandry practices.
The commissioner who said the development had already been captured in the 2021 budget, added that the ranch and livestock training centre would give citizens of the state especially youth the opportunity to practice livestock business under a conducive environment.
He said “the model ranch and livestock training centre is different from RUGA project of the federal government as some people have misinterpreted it. In any case the RUGA project has since been suspended following the outcry of some states against it.
“The Federal Government however replaced it with another scheme known as the National Livestock Transformation Plan (NLTP) and Taraba is among the seven states selected to start the pilot schemes”.
The commissioner maintained that when the project is completed, it would bring about increased productivity, improved livelihoods of actors in the field as well as create job opportunities among several other benefits.
On security, the Commissioner said the State Government was concerned about the recent insurgence of kidnapping in the state and would continue to collaborate with security agencies and also do everything within its power to bring the dastardly activity to a speedy end.
He advised citizens to also play their role actively by lending their support to the government and security agencies in their effort to make the state safe and secured for all.
Hon. Danjuma noted that Governor Ishaku’s commitment to ensure that peace returns to southern Taraba had started yielding positive results as the committee constituted by the state government to resettle the people of Chonku and Assa communities had recorded appreciable level of success.
While applauding Governor Ishaku’s achievements, the commissioner said the take off of the Taraba state social insurance scheme would make health care service delivery available and accessible to all categories of Tarabans and advised Tarabans to get registered when the agency finally come out with the detail guidelines for the implementation of the program.
Also speaking at the briefing, the Commissioner of Health, Dr. Innocent Vakkai observed that citizens were no longer adhering to Covid 19 guidelines in the state. Consequently, he advised citizens to go back to the guidelines as the second wave could be more serious than the first.
Dr Vakkai called on religious leaders and other heads to continue to sensitize people on the importance of social distancing, use of face masks and washing of hands in this period so as to curtail the spread of the virus.
