The official said the state is determined to transform the grazing reserve as a way of keying into the vision of the National Livestock Transformation Programme of the federal government.
The governor of Gombe State, Inuwa Yahaya, has been commended for working in synergy with the federal government and other relevant agencies to ensure the smooth implementation of the National Livestock Transformation Programme, which seeks to boost the production of livestock and its value chain in the country.
The Emir of Dukku, Haruna Rashid, gave the commendation when the state Commissioner for Agriculture and Animal Husbandry, Muhammad Gettado, called on him at his palace in Dukku.
The commissioner was on a tour at the Wawa-Zange grazing reserve in a string of visits to inspect completed and ongoing projects at the colony to make it habitable for herders and their animals.
The monarch said his emirate council is in full support of the initiative because of the fact that if fully implemented, the programme will not only help herders from risky distant travels by foot, but will also curtail the perennial farmers/herders clashes.
He particularly praised the administration’s passion and determination towards ensuring the revival of Wawa-Zange grazing reserve and for his wonderful policies targeted at revamping agricultural activities and livestock production in the state.
The commissioner assured of the determination of the state government to transform the grazing reserve as a way of keying into the vision of the National Livestock Transformation Programme of the federal government.
Sites inspected by the commissioner include the completed 20-bed capacity hospital, the ongoing construction of a veterinary clinic and a large expanse of ware hay currently being nurtured to maturity.
Other areas visited by the commissioner and members of his entourage included the already dredged dams located at the grazing reserve settlements centre and the one in Galumji recently awarded by the present administration to harvest more rainwater for the benefit of the livestock.
The commissioner, who expressed satisfaction with the level of work at the grazing reserve, however, challenged the contractor handling the veterinary clinic to speed up work so that herders can begin to enjoy services to be provided there.
He said when eventually completed, the grazing reserve will house six hospitals, six veterinary clinics, a milk collection centre, 16 boreholes and a modern abattoir to add up to the existing schools for nomadic education.
“Gombe State Government will leave nothing to chance. We will employ health workers and veterinary staff to man each facility when completed and ready for use and we are going to equip these facilities with state of the art equipment,” he said.
He said Mr Yahaya was committed to the successful completion of the project hence the award of contract for the dredging of two earth dams which were left unattended to since it was dug some 40 years ago.
The governor had stated that his administration was working assiduously to explore various value chain opportunities in the livestock sector through the planned dedication of about 250 hectares in the proposed Gombe industrial park for an agricultural industrial cluster.
He equally maintained that Gombe was among the first states to key into the Federal Government’s Livestock Transformation Project, which identified the Wawa-Zange grazing reserve as the pilot site, saying the state was taking the maximum advantage of the grazing reserve, which was a gazetted reserve with over 140, 000 hectares and carrying capacity of about 2 million heads of cattle and other small ruminants.