Senate applauds Abba Moro as Federal University of Health Sciences, Otukpo bill passes Second Reading

A Bill for an Act to establish the Federal University of Health Sciences, Otukpo, Benue State to make comprehensive provisions for its due management and administration and for matters connected therewith, 2020 (SB. 216) was read the Second Time at the Senate on Tuesday.

The bill was sponsored by Senator Abba Moro, Benue South.

The Senator in his speech called on his colleague to support the bill for a speedy passage.

His speech below.

Mr President, Distinguished Colleagues, may I humbly seek your consent to lead the debate of this pivotal Bill, which seeks to, among other things, establish the Federal University of Health Sciences, Otukpo. The Bill was read for the first time in this reverend Chamber on Tuesday, 26th November, 2019.

2. Mr. President, Respected Colleagues, may I use this opportunity to accentuate some of the objectives and intent of the Bill which, certainly, will not just furnish justification for this laudable legislative approach, but will also motivate the National Assembly to accelerate the legislative process in passing this Bill into law.

3. As aforementioned, the Bill seeks to establish the Federal University of Health Sciences, Otukpo (FUHSO), being the First Federal University of Health Sciences in Nigeria, so as to aggrandize access to medical education in Nigeria.

4. Mr President, Distinguished Colleagues, it is common knowledge that the Joint Admissions and Matriculations Board (JAMB) is the Nigerian entrance examination board for tertiary-level Institutions, consequently JAMB conducts entrance Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examinations for prospective undergraduates into Nigerian Universities.

5. According to statistics from JAMB 2017, the existing Medical Tertiary Institutions in Nigeria admit less than 20% of candidates desirous and qualified to study Medicine and its Allied Sciences in Nigerian Universities.

6. The University, when established, will address the dearth in admission of students aspiring to study Medicine and Allied Sciences in Nigeria and the supply of needed manpower in our health services industry.

7. It’s pertinent to mention here that the taming Nigerian population puts enormous strain an stress on the national infrastructure and available Health Personnel.

8. The Federal University of Health Sciences, Otukpo, when established, would bridge the gap of the challenges of inadequate health professionals in our country, Nigeria.

9. Mr President, Respected Colleagues, permit me to bring to your notice the fact that Nigeria has only about 72,000 nationally registered medical doctors, with only 35,000 practising Medical Doctors, serving a population approximated to be about 200,000,000 people.

10. Mr President, Distinguished Colleagues, may I mention further that the Federal University of Health Sciences, Otukpo, Bill is a development that was looked into by the past administration. The Bill was initiated by the then President of the Senate in the 7th and 8th Senate, Senator David Mark, GCON, in the 8th Senate, which passed the various stages of law making and received a resounding support from Legislators and Stakeholders across the country. However, the Bill was never transmitted for assent before the end of the Senate.

11. Mr President, Distinguished Colleagues, may I mention here that His Excellency, President Muhammad Buhari has already approved the establishment of the University is hereby attached.

12. I therefore humbly urge you to support this Bill and give it an accelerated passage, to give the institution the requisite legislative backing it needs for proper functioning.

Senate President, Ahmad Lawan PhD, CON referred the Bill to the Committee on Health to report in four (4) weeks.