FG spends N15.6m as compensation on bird flu
By NASIR MUHAMMAD

THE minister of agriculture, Malam Adamu Bello, has said that the federal government has paid about N155,639,866.00 million as compensation to poultry farmers whose flocks were incinerated in Kaduna, Kano, Plateau, Nasarawa, Benue, Anambra, Rivers, Ogun and Lagos states as well as the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
The minister made the disclosure on Friday, through the director, livestock and pest control, federal ministry of agriculture, Dr. Junaidu Maina. He said out of the amount, N55, 187,800 was given to bird flu victims in Kano.
He said the payment in Kano was done in three batches, stating that in the first and second batches, N23,469,300 and N12,140,250 million respectively was paid as compensation while the sum of N19,570,050 million was paid on the third batch.
Malam Bello said the federal government had approved a policy of modified stamping out which included compensation to the owners of flocks that were mandatorily stamped out in order to avoid the spread of avian influenza.
The minister further thanked President Olusegun Obasanjo who ensured payment of compensation by the federal government to the affected farmers at the rates of N250 per bird in order to alleviate the burden of their livelihood and food security.
He also thanked the Kano state government for the assistance to bird flu victims in the state, stressing that the federal government is determined to contain the disease and is also working out a restocking plan.
He called on the Kano state government to ensure stringent enforcement of all regulations relating to poultry trade, restriction of movement of both poultry and poultry products and to institute strict bio-security measures.
He also called for registration of all poultry businesses with the state government to enhance easy monitoring, that in so doing, all hands will be on deck in containing the spread of bird flu in the state and the country at large.
Responding, kano state chairman of Poultry Farmers Association of Nigeria, Alhaji Muhammed Aminu Ado, thanked the federal government for the assistance.
Some of the people who received compensation at the occasion included Kwakwaci Holdings, Awalu Ahmed and Muhammad Abdullahi Garba, among others.