General News of Thursday, 25 May 2017

Source: starrfmonline.com

Over 500 unposted vets to picket at Agriculture ministry

Agriculture Minister, Dr Afriyie Akoto Agriculture Minister, Dr Afriyie Akoto

Over five hundred unemployed veterinary technicians have threatened to picket at the Ministry of Agriculture to push for their immediate engagement by government.

Their threat comes less than 24 hours after government warned jobless graduates against massing up at ministries for postings and jobs.

The warning follows the wave of protest by health workers who have been agitating for postings.

The veterinary technicians who have not been posted for the past eight-years after completing their national service, have given government three weeks to post them or face their wrath.

“What we are saying is that 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, and 2015 batches including those who are even yet to do national service, these are the people we are talking about…all these combined we are 579,” the leader of the group, Daniel Amoako told Benard Nasara Saibu Wednesday on Starr Today.

According to him, active veterinary technicians in Ghana currently are below 600 and that they are not evenly distributed.

“The last time we went to veterinary services directorate, we were told that even retired people are being begged to stay over and work,” stated Mr. Amoako, angrily asking “are we serious as a nation at all?”

Reacting to the concerns of the aggrieved veterinary technicians in an interaction with Benard Nasara on Starr Today, the deputy minister of Agriculture, George Oduro commiserated with the technicians and urged them to come to the ministry to get their situation sorted.

“I’m not aware of what they are saying now. So I will plead with them to come to the ministry on Monday May 29, for us to find out whether they are under the ministry of Agric or local government so that we take it from there,” he said.

“So, I will plead with them to exercise patient and come to the office on Monday I will be waiting for them”.