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| Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Agriculture & Rural Development, Dr. Mohammed Bello Umar |
The new
director, Department of Animal Husbandry, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural
Development (FMARD), Mr. Bright Boyowa Watergire whose appointment generated
rowdy session during the National Agricultural Council Meeting has finally opened
up to say he was qualified for the position, going by the federal civil service
law.
He also revealed
to Food Farm News that out of three
officials (including himself) who could have slugged it out for the position of
director, one dropped off as she failed the level 14 to 15 examination while
the other one (the immediate past director) failed the level 15 to 16
examination, a development which left him (Watergire) as the only one who
qualified, before they brought another person on secondment in 2014.
He pointed
out that the argument of those who opposed his appointment was at variance with
the Civil Service rules and that is the body that has the right to employ,
train, promote and even demote as the case may be, adding that his major
service years in the ministry has been with the department and veterinary until
the separation in 2014 under former minister, Dr. Akinwunmi Adesina that
ushered in Dr. Ademola Raji on secondment, based on NIAS involvement with
amended act of 2015 from 2007.
The director
stressed that all his working experience since 1992 had been in the livestock
department adding that he and the ministry consultant were the ones that wrote
the working document for the department in all the value chains of livestock.
He queried
the authority of anybody who said he was not professionally qualified for the
post having passed all the requisites examinations including the one set and
marked by NIAS registrar, adding that the entering point to civil service did
not demand animal scientists alone but rather a degree in animal science,
animal production, bachelor of Agriculture and range management.
Contrary to
the allegation of being an agricultural economist, he argued that he joined the
service with BSc in Agriculture and has since been in the livestock and husbandry
department all through his career in the service. It will be called that some stakeholders had protested against (
Mr. Watergire) transfer to head the department arguing that he was unqualified
to take over from the then acting deputy director who has not written
examination for the post of a director.
I'm surprised at the arguments presented here by Mr Watergire.
ReplyDeleteIf Mr Watergire has a B. SC degree in general Agriculture, no one would be contesting his academic credecials A BAgric degree in Agricultural Economics is not the same thing as Bsc in general Agriculture. Whereas the later espoeses the student to all Agricultural Science courses up to the 500 level, former esposes him to only 400 level courses in general agriculture and specialization in his chosen area of Agriculture. Mr Watergire is essentially an Agricultural Economist,and I expect to be proud of his profession to which he should devote more attention and work hard through it to contribute to national development.There are many qualified Animal Scientists to grow the Agriculture sub sector without the nuisance of medlesomeness orchestrated by the likes of Mr Watergire.
Mr Watergire's certificate is not registrable by NIAS. I'm surprised the insists he is qualified going by civil service rules. For the avoidance of doubts, the document he is quoting lists the entry qualifications for Livestock Development officers as follows
A good Honours degree in Animal Science, Animal Production, Range Management and Bsc in General Agriculture.
Mr Eatergire cannot begin to develop his own to fulfill a personal agenda outside the norms of a respected civil service. Agricultural Economists in Nigeria, respected Agricultural Policy Makers should call their erring member to order and make exhibit some decorum in his conducts.
The embarrassing disdain shown by delegates at the last NCARD at Umuahia was enough to make even even a despot without conscience to drop his unpopular ambition. Some people are really shameless. You