By; ARCHIBONG ESUENE, Makurdi
The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Professor Muhammad Ali Pate has said that the Federal Ministry of Health is ready to support training of human capacity to produce quality professionals in the country’s health sector.
Professor Pate who gave the assurance at the maiden public lecture series of the Federal University of Health Sciences, Otukpo, said human capital was key since it drives every other resources.
Represented by his special Adviser on Health Matters, Dr. Emmanuel Odu, the Minister maintained that if human capital was not in place, every other resource will either be wasted or translate to nothing.
Professor Pate explained that the Federal University of Health Sciences Otukpo was positioned to contribute to the agenda of the federal government by producing quality human resources and also engage in research, information and evidence that will be used for better implementation of health care.
Guest speaker at the event and Vice Chancellor, Federal University of Health Sciences Otukpo, Professor Innocent Ujah who gave a historical background about the institution said the journey of the institution started like a journey to the unknown and cloud of uncertainty.
He said after getting approval during Dr. Goodluck Jonathan’s presidency, the project was however stalemated upon coming on board of president Muhammadu Buhari who later gave a go ahead for the full take off of the Institution and appreciated the efforts of former president of the senate David Mark for ensuring that the university was approved.
The lecture titled “Pioneering the first federal university of Health Sciences in Nigeria: the excitement, the expectations and challenges”, the pioneer vice chancellor told the gathering that the announcement of the establishment of the University was made on May 20th, 2015 at the 11th meeting of the federal executive council meeting under president Goodluck Jonathan’s presidency.
The vision of the university, the vice chancellor explained, was to be a world-class institution for learning, scientific research and innovation for developing the next generation of healthcare providers.
The mission of the Institution, the VIce Chancellor disclosed, was to build capacity of healthcare professionals through integrated medical education, professional skills and research providing access to high quality healthcare services.
The VIce Chancellor lamented that the retirement, resignation and death of some lecturers in the institution have created a vacuum where many courses are without lecturers and appealed to federal government to grant a waiver to allow the university to either recruit new staff or replace staff that who have left the institution.
In a good will message, the Ochi Idoma, His Royal Highness, Elaigwu Odugbo pledged the unalloyed support of the Idoma traditional council to the university for it to succeed.
