*Efforts in making university world-class is unnegotiable – VC
By; ARCHIBONG ESUENE, Makurdi
The paramount ruler of Idoma land, the Och’Idoma, Dr. John Obagaji Elaigwu has paid a maiden visit to Federal University of Health Sciences, Otukpo (FUHSO), and commended the management of the university for academic excellence and monumental achievements recorded within a short period of three years.
The Och’Idoma equally commended the VIce Chancellor of the university, Prof Innocent Ujah for his visionary leadership style as manifested in the massive infrastructural development and sound academic environment for the staff and students.
The first class traditional ruler who stated this when he visited the university along with his Council of Chiefs, said with what the VIce Chancellor and his management team are doing, “the future of FUHSO is great and preserved by the solid foundation laid”
His Royal Majesty who was received by the Vice Chancellor and the management of the university, inspected some projects and facilities on the campus earlier before proceeding to the the council chamber of the university where he heaped praises on the developmental stride on ground, stating that in less than four years the institution has achieved a lot under the leadership sagacity of Professor Ujah.
The Och” Idoma who is the Chancellor of Federal University, Otuoke, Bayelsa State, released royal blessings on the VC and the management, enjoining the management not to be deterred by the February 19 protest, but to continue to work for the enhancement of the Institution for the benefit of Nigerians and Idoma people.
While calling on his subjects to embrace dialogue for development to thrive in the land, he said, “let me express my joy over the composure of the staff and students to receive me and my council of chiefs, my first entry into the university to know what is going on here in my kingdom. My entrance which was made possible by God, shall mark a new dawn in the annals of this institution; whatever has been impossible to FUHSO will be made possible by God via my presence,” he said.
The Chairman, Idoma Area Traditional Council showered encomium on the VC, ‘‘keep your spirit of development high and God almighty will grant you the well withers to take the University forward; on behalf of the Idoma Area Traditional Council, I tender an unreserved apology to the institution for the ugly protest to the university by some of my children which I intervened in my capacity as a royal father; God said that I should preach peace to all and I must confess that you’re (Prof Ujah) a leader par excellence and a role model”.
The monarch encouraged the university management to consider his subjects from the nine local government areas in his domain, as well as the host communities for employment and admission into the university.
Responding, the VIce Chancellor, Professor Innocent Ujah, described the visit of His Royal Majesty to the university for the first time as a rare privilege, stating that the unreserved apology tendered by his monarch has relieved him and a testament that FUHSO is on a trajectory, noting that the university is a blessing from God in disguise to the Idoma people of Nigeria which he cautioned must be guarded jealously.
The VC explained that as a specialized Medical University, there are certain levels that one could go but for him, he has done the impossibility at FUHSO as first out of the six of its kind established by the Federal Government.
“I did my best to convince the Nigeria Medical and Dental Council to admit 100 students into the University’s MBBS programme as against 50 for other universities because FUHSO is a specialized Medical University,” he disclosed.
He maintained that the infrastructural development at the university’s permanent site at Akwete-Akpa were enormous – including a gigantic College of Medicine; Senate and Administrative buildings; Faculty of Science; students’ hostels; Physics and Biological departments; principal officers’ quarters; gatehouse and fence which would be completed soon.
The VIce Chancellor however, mentioned that his insistence on the right thing to be done was responsible for some variance, but thanked his management team for their support, saying that management of the university is conscious of the comfortability and health of the students, informing that the institution has not recorded any student’s death since its inception, averring that the joint efforts to make the university world-class is unnegotiable.
Prof Ujah who is the immediate past President of Nigeria Medical Association, informed the royal fathers that FUHSO students are doing well particularly those from Idoma extraction, pointing out that admission and employment are not influenced by favouritism , disclosing that the Remedial Science Programme was established to aid the immediate communities secure admission into degree programmes for their children, hence their deficiencies in science subjects, as one of its Corporate Social Responsibility.
