Commissioner Tasks Bayelsa Medical Varsity on Efficiency
The Bayelsa State Commissioner for Education, Gentle Emelah has charged the management and staff of Bayelsa Medical University (BMU) on the need to be alive to their statutory roles and responsibilities so as to deliver on the purpose for which the tertiary institution was established by the state government.
Emelah, who gave the charge recently when he paid an unscheduled visit to the university situated along Imgbi Road, Yenagoa, enjoined them to remain steadfast in their good work.
Giving an insight into why he paid the unscheduled visit to the tertiary institution, Emelah, who was received by the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Ebitimitula Nicholas Etebu, said he was in the school to inspect and have what he called “first-hand knowledge” of the preparedness of the university to reopen.
The commissioner, who was accompanied by his technical assistant and some key staff in his ministry, added that he was in the school to assess the working and learning conditions of the students, the state of the BMU Teaching Hospital and modalities in place for the accreditation of some of its programmes.
A statement signed by BMU Director of Public Relations, Dr, Marie Teibowei, quoted Etebu as saying in his welcome remarks that the school was pleased with Emelah’s show of seriousness and eagerness to change the face of tertiary institutions in the state.
The vice-chancellor added that the school was created to serve a dual purpose of training manpower in the health sector and providing healthcare services to humanity through its teaching hospital.
Etebu said BMU has state-of-the-art facilities such as the biggest incinerator in the state, a world class diagnostic centre, a mother and child hospital, a 35-bed teaching hospital, a COVID-19 testing centre among others.
The vice-chancellor also revealed plans to establish an infection/disease control institution to mitigate any outbreak of infectious disease in the oil and gas rich state.
While on the assessment tour of the campus, the commissioner expressed delight at the level of work put in place, the serenity of the learning environment for students and the dedication of management to lead the university to enviable heights.
His words: “The visit is a part of unscheduled visits I have been paying to all institutions of learning since my appointment as Commissioner for Education in Bayelsa State. These are part of the measures put in place by the prosperity government of Senator Douye Diri to revamp the education sector. I am elated at what I have seen here today and wish to congratulate the pioneering team for the great sacrifice.”
Emelah’s arrival in the school premises turned out to be a moment of appreciation for the visibly prepared BMU as the visit coincided with students undergoing a COVID-19 protocol orientation programme.
Some of the areas visited include the diagnostic centre, the biology laboratory, science laboratory, the teaching hospital male and female wards, the x-ray unit, as well as the emergency unit.
Others are the ICT laboratory, auditorium, construction site for classrooms, proposed site for the senate building, pathology building, cafeteria, energy building, library (physical and e-library), institute of foreign languages and biomedical translations IFL-BT (as part of BMU internationalization policy) with French, Russian, German, Spanish, Chinese, English and biomedical translations units, as well as the proposed site for the language laboratory.
Emelah lauded Etebu for keeping the BMU alive as the institution has become the pride of the state just as he promised to come back with the state governor who is also visitor to the university for another visit.
The Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Professor Paingha Alagoa thanked Emelah for making out time to see things for himself in the tertiary institution, and for the assurance and encouragement he has given to the university and wished him a successful tenure in office.
