FUHSO: Benue lawmakers visit Prof Ujah, declare support for health varsity

Members of the Benue State House of Assembly from Zone C (Benue South) on Monday March 15th, 2021 paid a courtesy call on Prof. Innocent Ujah, the Vice Chancellor of the Federal University of Health Sciences Otukpo.

The lawmakers, who were led by Rt. Hon. Chris Adaji, the Deputy Speaker of the Assembly, expressed great satisfaction with the level of work done so far at the temporary/kick off site of the institution in Otada, Otukpo.

Hon. Chris during his speech commended Prof. Ujah for leading such a pace in a very short time.

According to him: “As our father, boss and senior, we want to firstly thank you for honouring our invitation and request to pay you a courtesy call.

“As members of the Benue State House of Assembly, we have 11 members from Benue south Senatorial District but unfortunately, four out of the eleven are unavoidably absent due to other official assignment. As members representing the immediate constituency of this great institution, we’ve come to felicitate with you and to declare our unflinching support.

“We are here for solidarity and to let you know that we’ll always be there to support you anytime you call on us as far as this varsity is concern. We are praying for your success and always asking God to give you wisdom to chair the affairs of the school credibly.” The Deputy Speaker added.

The Vice Chancellor, prof. Ujah, on his path extolled the State lawmakers for coming around to see how the school is making progress.

“We are a new institution with a lot of challenges but we thank and appreciate the Federal Government for restoring the institution after it was suspended moments after it was established through Sen. David Mark.

” The need for schools like this can not be over emphasized because as a country, we are short of doctors and I think it’s like that globally too.

“Our people are suffering in this part of the world, for instance, there’s no consultant in the whole of zone C. We fought for this school to be where it is today in order to bring development close to our people, to improve the health of our people and to also create economic wellbeing for our people.

“I also want to state it very clearly that this is not Idoma or Benue university, its a Nigeria and global university and so, nobody should have an allusion that since it’s here, it’s a university for only Idoma people.

“I’m not here to represent a political party, I Prof. Ujah is here on my credentials and God. If it was through vote, I’m sure a lot people here won’t vote for me. So, we want all politicians to know that this is not a political university, this is a university of it’s own status because it’s the first ever in the entire country. We should just count ourselves lucky for having it in Otukpo and Benue South Senatorial District for historical relevance and I’m urging all of us to handle it like egg because we’re not prepared for anybody to rubbish this place.

“We’ve started recruiting and exams are ongoing as we speak. The exam is computer based and all applicants can write from anywhere because it’s online.

“This is a university to train doctor’s, nurses, medical lab scientists, Neuro therapists, pharmacists etc. We also have a faculty of science and a faculty of biomedical engineering and a faculty of water resources and environmental engineering and ICT will be a major platform for the university.

“We have started with institute for global health and We’ve submitted our budget and it should be approved for 2021. So with your support from the you people at the Assembly and the various communities around, we’ll succeed.

“We’ve visited the Och’Idoma and the Tor Tiv, We’ve also been visited by the Third, second and first Class Chiefs, several other traditional rulers who also pledged their support and loyalty to the university.

“We are advocating for people to give us accommodation for one or two years till we stabilize. Although people have started donating structures to us but we need more.

“What thrive mostly in this state and zone is rumor munging and am not going to be prepared for that because I came to this town since 1964.

The Registrar is from Kano, the Bursar is from Benue, the Chief Liberian is from Akwa Ibom, the Provost of the college is from Kwara state.” He added.