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Quarantine agency decries inadequate funding, manpower to operate

Published

5 years ago

August 29, 2019

The Nigeria Agricultural Quarantine Service (NAQS) has expressed concern over inadequate manpower and funding to effectively carry out its operations.

Director, Animal Quarantine Dr Abiodun Akinjo, stated this on Thursday in Abuja that the agency has only 30 veterinary officers among other personnel to man over 52 border posts across the country.

According to him, the number is grossly inadequate, and the gap is greatly impeding on the agency’s operations.

“There is urgent need for the appropriate authorities to come to the aid of the agency.

“We have over 52 border stations all over the country but we cannot meet up with the number because we have to seek for the approval to go ahead and employ more.

“Therefore, we have serious need for more veterinary doctors.

“We cannot adequately cover these areas but what we are doing at the moment is to make sure that every entry and exit points have at least a veterinary doctor and other personnel like animal husbandry and livestock development officers among others.

“However, there is need for veterinary doctors to oversee all these categories of officers which are not not also sufficient.

“We operate 24/7 services through morning, afternoon and night shifts, but to be able to do this effectively we need adequate manpower,” Akinjo said.

The director specifically cited a scenario where the Nigerian Immigration Service on opening new borders wrote to the agency requesting for equivalent personnel to man the areas.

Akinjo said that the agency was unable to meet the demand due to a lack of adequate manpower.

“Being a new agency, we are hopeful that the government will approve or give us consideration to employing more hands so that we can meet up with the challenges ahead of us, employment is very crucial.”

Akinjo appealed to the Federal Government to prioritize adequate budgetary allocation to the agency in order to procure standard equipment and official vehicles for its field workers.

“We should be funded properly which is key; adequate and timely provision of funds will assist the agency to respond quickly,

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We Are Ready For NBBF/Zenith Bank Women’s Basketball League Final-Onikeku

Published

3 weeks ago

September 29, 2024

The Gleamer

Joel Ajayi

Sports Secretary of Nigeria Customs Service, Samuel Onikeku, has revealed that his team will be ready to compete when the final face of Zenith Basketball League Phase commences in Lagos.

Speaking on Saturday at the end of phase two for the Savannah conference in Abuja where the customs team only lost just one Game, Onikeku expressed that the customs team is ready to fight and win the trophy.

The top teams from each conference Atlantic and Savannah will converge in Lagos for the National finals.

The eight teams include, the Customs women’s basketball team Air Warriors, Titan Female team, and…. Will join MFM, First Bank Dolphins, and another team to compete.

Onikeku thumbs the Nigeria Customs Service Women’s Basketball Team for their resilience and outstanding performance at the just concluded Zenith Basketball League Phase 2 in Abuja.
According to him, the team has done well, in phases 1 and 2 we played 14 games and won 13 it’s a plus, and the team will be ready for Lagos.

”I just finished discussing with a coach, we are going to keep them in Camp because the time is very short so they will just take the weekend off and by Monday the team will continue the preparation.

”So, they will be in Camp until maybe four days before the championship and we will move them to Lagos for the competition proper and feel of Arena before the championship.

”We are going to Lagos prepared and we are going to leave no stone unturned we will go to Lagos and play equally with the same tempo with every other team not underrating any team.

”.Our main goal is to make sure we get to the final, then talk about winning the league and go to the zonal competition and try to secure qualification for Africa Championship”.

Onikeku, who also serves as the Technical Director of the Athletics Federation of Nigeria, AFN, acknowledged the immense support of the Comptroller-General, Adewale Adeniyi, for the development of sports within the Customs organization.

He said, “The CG’s support has been tremendous, not only for basketball but for all sports that the Customs participate in. Playing for Customs means you will always be highly motivated. The more the players compete, the better they become”.

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