By CHARLES IWUOHA

The National Universities Commission (NUC) has commenced verification for 18 degree programmes for the take-off of the Federal University of Allied Health Sciences, Enugu (FUAHSE).

It would be recalled that President Bola Tinubu had on March 15, 2024 approved the conversion and upgrade of the former Federal College of Dental Technology and Therapy to the Federal University of Allied Health Sciences for human resources development in health and social welfare sector.

Consequently, the university in its inaugural senate, approved 22 programmes in five allied healthcare faculties while the NUC directed verification of 18 out of the 22 programmes for take-off in the 2024/2025 academic session.

This led to the invitation and verification of the NUC team for the take-off of the programmes.

Speaking before commencement of the verification at the weekend, the NUC Verification team leader and NUC Academic Planner, Mr Jude Akubue, said that the acting Executive Secretary of the NUC, Amb. Chris Maiyaki, approved the verification.

?We are glad to be here because today is historic for the university and for us; it is an epoch for us because after this visit, you will know whether you have the nod to run the programmes as a university.

?Therefore, we congratulate you for this transition and to President Bola Tinubu for approving the university,? Akubue said.

He disclosed that the team comprised resource persons carefully selected from different parts of the country such as from the Ahmadu Bello University (ABU) Zaria, Nnamdi Azikwe University Awka and Babcock University, among others.

According to him, our team is also made up of experts in different academic fields such as in basic and allied sciences.

?We are going to use Core Curriculum Minimum Academic Standard (CCMAS) documents as our benchmark and that will be the basis for the assessment.

?Since last year, the CCMAS was introduced and the implementation started from 2023/2024 academic session, so when you get approval for these programmes, it is the CCMAS that you are going to use as a minimum of 70 per cent content.

?The remaining per cent (30 per cent) you are going to use to suit your own uniqueness as a university,? he explained.

Speaking, the acting Vice Chancellor of university, Prof John Emaimo, expressed appreciation to President Tinubu who approved the transition of the former college into a full-fledged university and first Health Science University in Nigeria.

Emaimo said, ?The team is well chosen to deliver on their assignment and this is just the beginning.

?The university is starting today by virtue of this verification, we are adding another feather for universities in Nigeria to mould more young minds into the society.

?We are confident that the team will put us in the right direction to get the university accreditation.

?What we are doing is for humanity, trying to intervene on the current need issues in Nigeria, to make sure that we have a place for the young people in the society.?

The vice chancellor noted that the management and staff of the institution were ready to cooperate and assist the team for s seamless and hitch-free verification.

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