By steve anyebe.
DATE: Friday 15th December 2023.
TIME: 2pm.
VENUE: FUHSO GRA Campus(former KK Resort) Otukpo.
EVENT: Maiden FUHSO Public Lecture.
Professor Innocent A.O Uja,mni,OON, NPOM, Vice-Chancellor of the Federal University of Health Sciences Otukpo (FUHSO), was at his best. Resplendent in a colourful academic gown, he marched with his usual air of time-tested confidence at the tail of a long array of equally academic gown wearing Professors.
As the pedestrian convoy of renowned academics strolled gingerly, with measured strides into the expansive Hall, the waiting audience stood up in salutation, and stood still until the Vice-Chancellor and his entourage were all on the stage which used to house the famous musical band called Bongos And The Groovies. The faces in the already half filled hall depicted eager expectations at 2:20pm as MC 014 ordered the renditions of the Nigerian national anthem and the FUHSO anthem, signalling the official commencement of the event marking the first of the FUHSO Public Lecture Series.
PROF. I. UJAH
The eagerness to hear the story of FUHSO, up till then hidden to the public, was so strong that there were sighs here and there inside the audience as the usual formalities of recognition of dignitaries were conducted. Not much interest was shown either when Prof Steve Abah, Chairman of the event organising committee, mounted the rostrum to deliver his welcome address. Nor was the hall, which had now become fuller, any more excited as goodwill messages were delivered by some of those earlier recognised special guests. However, a sudden life was ignited inside the hall when the citation on Prof Innocent Ujah started being read. Thunderous applause followed each mention of qualifications earned, positions held, and honours bestowed on him.
At long last Prof Ujah took the floor.
The Man from Aidogodo, a proud son of Okpokwu and Idomaland, a nationally recognised Unionist and internationally sought-after Gynaecologist, took on his topic with great relish, typical of a man who knows his onions. He used innuendo, metaphors and proverbs, while equally employing cynicism, verbal punches, and castigation to rub it in, as he unveiled the story of the first Federal Government established University of Health Sciences in Nigeria in his Lecture titled “PIONEERING THE FIRST FEDERAL UNIVERSITY OF HEALTH SCIENCES IN NIGERIA: THE EXCITEMENT, THE EXPECTATIONS, THE CHALLENGES.”
From the onset, Prof Innocent Ujah left no one in doubt that the story he was going to tell would be a tale of a tortuous trip full of uncertainties, obstructions, discouragement and frustrations, but more importantly how “hope, perseverance, determination, commitment, focus and prayers were the driver force that continued to propel the principal actors” to eventual success and jubilation.
The audience would be told the names of the principal initiators behind the establishment of FUHSO to be Professors Ochapa Onazi, John Idoko, Innocent Ujah, Owoicho Akpa, Ediga Agbo, Francis Uba and Dr Emmanuel Odu. From the Lecture, one would also get to know how former President of Senate, Chief David Mark, provided the much needed political muscle and former President Goodluck Jonathan the executive flow.
In his Lecture, which could aptly have been titled “Unravelling The Secrets Behind FUHSO”, Prof Innocent AO Ujah ably captured the EXCITEMENT of Idoma people especially when he traced it to a memo in 2013 from the National Universities Commission directing the then Federal University of Agriculture, Makurdi, to commence a College of Health Sciences, with Otukpo as its campus. Meanwhile the Apa Education Foundation Professors were relentlessly pushing for a full fledged University for Idomaland. Things paid off when, with the obvious influence of then Senate President David Mark, the Federal Executive Council meeting of 20th May 2015(chaired by President Goodluck Jonathan), announced the establishment of Federal University of Health Sciences, Otukpo alongside others. With this, the first thought of every Benue South person was that God had answered long term prayers against educational discrimination and deprivations since the creation of the State in 1976. Now Idoma applicants would be able to read courses of their choice in the University of Health Sciences (especially Medicine), get appointments, and even become Vice-Chancellor. But all this EXCITEMENT fizzled out as the new Government of President Muhammadu Buhari suspended the University along with five others established by Goodluck Jonathan. This was, however, a temporary letdown as the Professors of Apa Education Foundation fought for, and got FUHSO restored via Government pronouncement on 7th June 2019, with the backing of Prof Abubakar Rasheed of the National Universities Commission(NUC) and then Education Minister Mallam Adamu Adamu, as well as his Permanent Secretary Arc Sunny Togo Echono.
Having struggled ceaselessly and achieved the restoration of FUHSO, the EXPECTATIONS were very high from the public. The maiden Management Team, headed by Prof Innocent Ujah never took their appointments for granted as they hit the ground running as the Academic Brief and University Laws were put together, submitted to NUC and approved; a one-room take-off office acquired at NUC; Vision, Mission, Philosophy, and Core Values of the new University promulgated; Academic Programmes designed; while the Otada take-off site was acquired. Prof Ujah revealed in his heart rending Lecture the stupendous role the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFUND) played, and has continued to play, in especially the infrastructural development of FUHSO.
As FUHSO commenced formal academic activities in 2020, EXPECTATIONS increased. Students and Staff had to have their expectations met in such areas as provision of accommodation, conducive learning and working environments, as well as salaries. Through sheer ingenuity, TETFUND interventions, and cooperation from members of the host community, the FUHSO management, led by Prof Innocent Ujah, was able to meet most of the EXPECTATIONS. By 2022 FUHSO had become a reference point to be visited by other new similar Institutions for the purpose of fact-finding the secrets behind the successes recorded in such a short period.
Dwelling on the CHALLENGES of administering a new specialized health-based educational Institution, Prof Ujah expectedly reeled out numerous problems he has had to tackle. These include lack of adequate funding; inadequate learning facilities; the COVID-19 pandemic; accommodation for staff and students; erratic power supply; the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information(IPPIS) system; staff recruitment; rumour mongers and their activities; as well as the development of the FUHSO permanent site. To the glory of God Prof Innocent Ujah, and his Team, brimming with euphoric happiness over the realisation of their dream, took on these challenges with fervour to conquer. This also spread round Otukpo and prominent sons daughters rose up to donate apartments to house maiden staff members. The State Government under, His Excellency Samuel Ortom, very graciously donated the Otukpo General Hospital to be used as the nucleus of FUHSO Teaching Hospital. Prof Ujah engaged in massive partnerships (both locally and internationally) to meet some of the CHALLENGES. The multimillion Naira state-of-the-art Judith Ogwa Obla Memorial Kidney Centre for training, clinical services and research, is an outstanding result of such partnership, as well as well as a Forty Million Naira Endowment Fund, both coming from Chief Godwin Odumu Obla, SAN. Other partnerships have been established with St Helen Specialist Hospital and New Vision Institute of Technology (both in Otukpo), as well as Emory, Temple and Northwestern Universities(all in the USA).
Prof Ujah was besides himself in extending deep gratitude to TETFUND under Arc Sunny Echono for the sustained interventions which has led to ongoing massive construction works at the Akwete-Akpa permanent site, and the acquisition of the former KK Resort, which has become the elegant Otukpo GRA Campus.
Using only barely one hour to conscript the story of FUHSO so remarkably as its involved Vice-Chancellor did on 15th December 2023, showed clearly that being a long-term saver of lives and “maker of babies” has not impeded Prof Ujah from being also a consummate story teller. Those who have known him attest to the astute story telling ability of the former Nigeria Medical Association (NBA)President, especially when he is a protagonist in the story. It was worth listening to him as he rounded up his story, humbly paying tribute to former Presidents Goodluck Jonathan and Muhammadu Buhari; former Senate President David Mark; former Minister Adamu Adamu; former NUC Executive Secretary Prof Abubakar Rasheed; former Governor Samuel Ortom and his Deputy Engr Benson Abounu; JAMB Registrar Prof Ishaq Oloyode; HRM Agabaidu Dr John Elaigwu Odogbo Obagaji and HRM Elias Ikoyi Obekpa; HRH Chief Dr John Onuminya Eimonye; Otada, Akpachi and Akwete-Akpa communities; and his wife Mrs Francisca Oyibo Ujah, his amiable wife who sat through the Lecture.
At the end it was a resounding standing ovation Prof Innocent AO Ujah got from the audience, after laying bare THE REAL STORY OF FEDERAL UNIVERSITY OF HEALTH SCIENCES OTUKPO.