From left; Permanent Secretary, Ekiti State Ministry of Education, Dr Folake Olomojobi; Representative of the College Board of Directors, Dr Femi Oke-Osanyintolu; PS, Deputy Governor’s Office, Mr Bayo Opeyemi; Commissioner for Education, Dr Bimpe Aderiye; and the College Provost, Dr Foluke Ajibulu
* Trained middle-level health practitioners strategic to medical practice – EKSG
By Nudoiba Ojen
THE Provost, Oke-Osanyintolu College of Health Sciences and Technology, Dr Foluke Ajibulu, has said that the institution is out to train health practitioners and churn out quality manpower who can function effectively in community, primary, secondary, tertiary and industrial health settings.
Ajibulu, who said that the founder, Mrs Mary Oke-Osanyintolu, placed priority on integrity and quality, disclosed that regulatory bodies had conducted requisite accreditations on the institution and found it worthy in all standards due to the state of the arts facilities that are available to promote teaching, training and research.
The provost, who spoke at Ido Ekiti during the maiden Matriculation ceremony of the private institution, charged the students to focus on their studies and imbibe integrity and quality.
Ajibulu said that the institution has a JAMB approved CBT Registration centre that can accommodate 4,000 admission seekers, each with laptop and internet access.
She lauded Ekiti State Governor, Mr Biodun Oyebanji, for providing grants to some secondary schools to promote standards and excellence in the education sector, saying such gesture should be extended to private institutions.
Speaking at the event, Ekiti State Deputy Governor, Chief Mrs Monisade Afuye, described the establishment of the institution by a private individual as highly commendable, saying it had further accentuated the priority placed on Public Private Partnership initiative by Governor Biodun Oyebanji and its efficacy in governance.
Afuye urged the College to produce graduates that could compete with its counterparts globally and make remarkable inroads into cognate and valuable research programmes that could benefit the nation.
The deputy governor, represented by the Permanent Secretary in her office, Mr Abayomi Opeyemi, described colleges as strategic to medical practice in view of the fact that they trained middle level health practitioners that provided support services for other health practitioners in all private and government health institutions.
She charged Colleges of Health Sciences and Technology operating in the country to place premium value on qualitative education that would ultimately determine the quality of healthcare deliverable for Nigerians in medical facilities.
The deputy governor advised the management to put up concerted actions to combat cases of cultism, social unrest, certificate racketeering that are fondly associated with higher institutions, and strive hard to promote the culture of honour, integrity and hard work.
“Education by all standards, is an important weapon to fight poverty, ignorance, criminality and social unrest in any society. Any nation where education is not prioritized, development is always very difficult to attain.
“We must also bear in mind that it shouldn’t just be education for the sake of it, but quality education that can serve humanity in the best ways. It is on this premise that Governor Oyebanji places high premium focus on the education of all younger Ekiti indigenes.
“I want to appeal to the management of this school to promote excellence premised on the fact your graduates will work in the health sector described as the most sensitive because it deals with lives.
“You must put the best machinery in motion to check cases of cultism, certificate forgery, mediocrity, laziness, and lack of focus on behalf of the students and lecturers. You must promote the culture of hard work, honesty, and honour, which are the best ingredients for nation building”.
The deputy governor, who reminded the students that they were being trained to become health professionals who the public would expect the best skills and knowledge that can promote quality healthcare delivery from, charged them to be diligent.
