The resurgence of Bird Flu * No cause for alarm in Kano -- PAN Chairman
By ABDULLAHI D.  ABDULLAHI, Group News Editor

SELLERS and consumers of chickens in Kano have a cause to smile as the dreaded Avian Flu has not surfaced in the state in the past five months.
Dropping the hint in an interview with Weekend Triumph, the chairman, Poultry Association of Nigeria (PAN), Kano state chapter, Alhaji Muhammad Aminu Adamu, however, stated that only minor incidences were reported which did not pose any serious threat.
According to him, the absence of the disease during the period might not be unconnected with the drastic measures taken by his association. The measures, according to him, included massive enlightenment campaign on the need for members to take cautious steps in handling their chickens.
“We, for instance, compelled them to use relevant chemicals before and after having contact with their chickens; restrict movement from one farm to another, report any sign of the disease in time and wash their hands with soap after having a contact with the chickens”, Adamu highlighted.
He also disclosed that the poultry farmers work closely with the department of veterinary medicine in the state ministry of agriculture as well as veterinary clinics, affirming that the veterinary doctors on the other hand are always available for his members.
“We work closely with the vet doctors and we adhere strictly to their advice and directives, a situation that reduces the disease drastically and we are doing our best to maintain the tempo”, Adamu explained.
The poultry farmers association chairman revealed to Weekend Triumph that evenwhen the disease surfaced in the past, it was restricted to the eight metropolitan local governments where the major poultry farms are located, hence they received more attention whereas in the rural and local government areas there were no such experience.
Alhaji Adamu however, said his associate never relents in its efforts to reach all the nooks and crannies of the state, assuring further that, “there is no Avian Influenza in the state because of the bio-security steps taken by my association.”
He urged his members to sustain the co-operation they have been giving to the association in their interest and most importantly, the interest of their consumers.
In another development, the poultry farmers association boss has expressed gratitude to Kano state government for “finally fulfilling its earlier pledge of giving financial assistance to its members affected by the disease.”
He particularly singled out the current commissioner of agriculture, Alhaji Surajo Karaye and his predecessors for their effort on ensuring that such financial assistance was given to his members.
Alhaji Adamu however, observed that the state government could have done more to help the affected farmers because many were not considered, adding that government should consider others whose losses were not recorded during the disaster period.
According to him, the N33 million given to his members by Kano government was just an assistance not compensation, because a single chicken costs between N700 to N800 but while the state government paid N150 the federal government paid N250 for each bird lost.
Alhaji Adamu commended both the federal and state governments for the positive measures being taken to curb the disease though he lamented that some state governments are not doing enough.
Weekend Triumph recalls that, last month, the state government gave out N33 million to affected farmers as assistance.
In the same vein, the federal government yesterday gave additional N19 million to the Kano poultry farmers for disbursement to the third batch of the affected farmers. The amount was received by Alhaji Adamu on behalf of the farmers.
Speaking at the occasion held at the state ministry of agriculture, Malam Adamu Bello revealed that over N155,639,866.00 has been committed to payment of compensation to poultry farmers in Kaduna, Kano, Plateau, Nassarawa, Benue, Anambra, Rivers, Ogun and Lagos states, with Kano receiving the sum of N55,187,800 including the amount released yesterday.