Alleged diversion of Anthrax vaccination funds stirs tension in Imo

Stakeholders and Senior staff of the Imo state Ministry of Livestock Development, have called on Imo state governor, Hope Uzodimma, to sack the commissioner heading the Ministry of Lives stock development, Anthony Mgbeahuruike, over alleged mismanagement of the anthrax vaccination funds for cows in Imo state to prevent the spread of the anthrax diseases in the state.

They disclosed this to newsmen in Owerri, on Tuesday following the report that the anthrax vaccination did not take place in the state as planned.

The accusation and counter-accusation started when some staff were accused of embezzling the anthrax vaccination fund. In defending themselves, they alleged that the commissioner did not release the funds for the exercise.

Most of the staff of the ministry who did not want their names mentioned in print said they did not want to be witch-hunted by the commissioner of the ministry.

According to them, they alleged that; “We are not happy with the actions being taken by the commissioner regarding the ongoing Anthrax vaccination programme in the state which is aimed at vaccinating animals against the spread of Anthrax in the state. As a result of the mismanagement of funds it stalled the vaccination activities that should have been carried on the animals across the state. It never happened.

“What is happening in the ministry is an eyesore, we don’t even know why the Governor has refused to look critically into what is happening in our ministry, the commissioner is just here to siphon money and cause problem for the state government, very soon I believe his cup will be full.

“The purported Anthrax vaccination in Imo is a huge fraud, nothing was done. The Anthrax vaccination exercise is just a fluke and its objectives were never achieved. The poor management of the funds budgeted for the Anthrax vaccination affected the exercise seriously. The Governor should set up an independent Committee to look into how the Anthrax vaccination funds were handled.”

Reacting, the Commissioner for Livestock and Development, Anthony Mgbeahuruike, shortly said: “There is no evidence to that report.”

FI