The Coalition of Unemployed Veterinary Technical Officers and Nurses has given the Ministries of Food and Agriculture and Finance a 21-day ultimatum to release their financial clearance or face their wrath.

The group is also demanding postings for all 558 unemployed technical officers and nurses who have completed their national service since 2018 to date.

At a press conference to drum home their demand, the National President of the group, Lankoriba Otabil Naab said they will picket at the premises of the ministries if their demand is not met within 21 days.

He appealed to the Veterinary Medical Technicians Association of Ghana (VEMTAG ) to sympathize with them by laying down their tools should the ministry declined their request.

Justifying why government should absorb them, he said nationwide veterinary doctors and para veterinarians are less than 1,300, adding that about 30 percent of these professionals will be retiring in the next two years.

Mr. Otabil Naab said currently each district across the country has less than 5 veterinary officers, something he said is woefully inadequate to carry out the mandate of meat inspection, vaccination, treatment of livestock and to give advice to farmers among other duties.

He said the lack of these personnel has forced most farmers to resort to treating their own animals unprofessionally, putting the health of the general public at serious risk.

The president reiterated the need for government to employ them to deliver this responsibility to safe the masses from quack veterinary officers who are patronized by farmers for lack of option.

Mr Otabil Naab said about 70 percent of human diseases are from animals and veterinary officers and nurses are the only people that can combat such diseases.

He said government also needs the services of veterinary officers to implement its flagship program, rearing for food and jobs.

Mr. Otabil Naab said both past and present governments have made promises of restoring their allowances like they did for trainee teachers and nurses but have failed them.