The people of Item in Bende local government area of Abia will soon become a host community to a federal university as the Bill seeking the establishment of Federal University of Medical and Health Sciences, Item Bende sponsored by the member representing Bende Federal Constituency, Hon. Benjamin Kalu has passed second reading.
The Bill which was first read on the floor of the House of Representatives on Wednesday 14th July 2021 was on Thursday, February 10, 2022, passed to the second reading during the plenary session.
The Bill will make comprehensive provisions for due management and administration of the tertiary institution as well as offer full-time training leading to the award of degrees in this field of study.
Hon. Kalu who is also the Spokesperson of the House of Representatives in his debate stated that specialized universities have become very important in Nigeria as there is an increasing demand for medical and health professionals especially as the country keeps losing her trained medical and health personnel to other countries, a situation he said the government may not completely halt.
He also added that it would be appropriate to key into the huge export market of trained medical and health personnel, by investing more into the education and training of this personnel in large numbers to meet both domestic and international standards.
According to Rep. Kalu, the general purposes of the University, among other things will include encouraging the advancement of learning and holding out to all persons without distinction of race, creed, sex or political conviction, the opportunity of acquiring higher education in Medicine and other Health Sciences.
He added that it will, “Develop and offer academic and professional programs leading to the award of diplomas, first degrees, postgraduate research, and higher degrees with an emphasis on planning, adaptive, technical, maintenance, developmental, and productive skills in the field of Medicine, biomedical engineering, scientific, and allied professional disciplines relating to health resources to produce socially mature persons with the capacity not only to understand, use and adapt existing technologies in the health industry, but also to improve on those disciplines and develop new ones, and to contribute to the scientific transformation of medical and other health practices in Nigeria.
“Act as agents and catalysts, through postgraduate training, research and innovation for the effective and economic utilization, exploitation, and conservation of Nigeria’s natural, economic and human resources.
“Offer to the general population, as a form of public service, the results of training and research in medicine and allied disciplines and to foster the practical application of those results”.
The bill has therefore been sent to the Committee on Education for further considerations.
