By CHARLES IWUOHA

The Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Tertiary Education and TETFUND, Dr. Aminu Suleiman, has expressed hope that the newly built David Umahi Federal University of Medical Sciences, Uburu, would end Medical Tourism in Africa.

Dr. Suleiman stated this during a dinner organized in the honour of the House Committee by the Ebonyi State Government, following the oversight visit of the Committee to the State and the South East.

The Committee Chairman while applauding Governor Umahi for his signature projects in the State identified the Medical University as the best in the whole African Continent.

He said: “We have come, we have seen and we are awed. As far as we are concerned, you have the best University in Africa, in all honesty, if we say that we need good governance in this country, then we must reward people who have served excellently, irrespective of tribe and party.

“People like Governor Umahi should not just win if he is contesting; it is my belief that he should be rewarded. We should just call a spade by its name, if we fail to do this, then we should dismiss the clamour for good governance, we should dismiss the clamour for accountability and for transparent leadership in this nation.

“Where we have one, we should acknowledge him, not only to reward him but to encourage others. That is the only way I think we will be able to produce more positive leaders in our Nation.

“It might be a capital offence for us to continue to engage in medical tourism anywhere after this committed and deliberate attempt by Governor Umahi through the construction of these gigantic edifices and I think the people of Ebonyi State and Nigeria should ensure that they protect these facilities and this environment.”

He commended the Governor for his wisdom in ceding the ownership and management of the Institution to the Federal Government as the facilities were beyond what any State Government could maintain.

Dr. Suleiman thanked the Government and people of the State for the warm reception granted members of the Committee and pledged to fast-track official takeover of the University by the Federal Government.

Responding, Governor David Nweze Umahi thanked the Committee for their choice of the State for the oversight visit.

The Governor, represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Dr. Kenneth Ugbala, thanked the Committee for its warm sentiments about the achievements of his administration and pledged to sustain the delivery of democracy dividends to the state.

“Let me thank you for your warm sentiments on what the Governor prefers to call modest achievements. Before now, we were regarded as backward people but today we are ranking among the first in the comity of states, nobody will do a name search before you locate Ebonyi State for now.

“What we have on ground is not because of robust Federal allocation accruing to the State, as members of the National Assembly, I am sure you are aware, it is the prudence in managing the meagre resources that is the secret of all these achievements.

“The university you are seeing is not just the best but he has arranged the best personnel to manage it because this is the future of our dear nation and the school fees have been reduced to the level that irrespective of your background, you can afford it,” he said.

Earlier in a welcome speech, the Honourable Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Chief Cletus Ofoke, had thanked the Committee for coming to Ebonyi State and wished them well in the course of their legislative duty.

“There is no doubt that Ebonyi State has made a mark in the history of Nigeria because the man at the helm of affairs has placed the good governance of the State uppermost in his agenda.

“Let me inform our visitors that sometimes last year our Governor was awarded Ambassador of Good Governance, Rule of Law, Transparency and Accountability, courtesy of his leadership ingenuity in Ebonyi State.”

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