Unemployed veterinary nurses threaten nationwide demonstration
The coalition of unemployed veterinary technical officers and nurses have threatened to embark on a nationwide demonstration should government fail to post them.
The coalition, made up of over 558 graduates from 2018 till date, has given the government a 21-day ultimatum to post them into their respective workplaces.
According to them, they are struggling to survive without jobs.
Addressing the media, at Pong-Tamale in the Northern Region, the President of the coalition, Lankoriba Otabil, expressed disappointment at the government’s neglect.
“How can we go to school and at the end we have been left jobless? So, we are here to show our displeasure to the President and the Ministry in charge that we need employment.
“People are laughing at us because we don’t have jobs. We those who don’t engage in fraudulent activities to get money are looking like useless members in society because we are holding certificates for nothing, why is it so?
“Does it mean that there is no need for school? If the government fails to listen to us, it will lead to a massive nationwide demonstration and we will also educate the young ones in society not to show any interest in agriculture-related courses,” he stressed.
He also appealed to the Veterinary Medical Technicians Association of Ghana (VEMTAG) to sympathise with them by laying down their tools should the ministry decline their request.
Explaining why the government should absorb them, he said nationwide veterinary doctors and para veterinarians are less than 1,300, adding that about 30% of these professionals will be retiring in the next two years.
Mr Otabil also indicated that each district across the country has less than five veterinary officers, something he said is woefully inadequate to carry out the mandate of meat inspection, vaccination, treatment of livestock and to give advice to farmers among other duties.
He said the lack of these personnel forced most farmers to resort to treating their own animals unprofessionally, putting the health of the general public at serious risk.