Governor Seriake Dickson has said that the new Bayelsa Medical University, Yenagoa, has the potential to be one of the best in Africa and the world, if properly managed.

Governor Dickson, who stated this while on an inspection tour of the University facility, said with the investment of the Restoration Administration in key sectors, state has become a leading centre of human capacity development in the country and the African continent.

A press statement by the Special Adviser to the Governor on Media Relation, Mr. Fidelis Soriwei, quoted the governor to have said that the acting Vice Chancellor of the institution, Professor Ebitimitula Etebu, and the Acting Registrar, Dr. Akpoebi Adesi, were carefully selected, to start a great culture of learning in the university.

The Governor pointed out that the university would train medical personnel, including medical doctors, pharmacists, nurses, laboratory attendants, among several others.

According to him, the institution is not only meant to serve Bayelsa state alone, but the entire Niger Delta region and Nigeria at large.

He stressed that his dream was to see the Bayelsa Medical University produce well-trained medical personnel who would be exported to other states and countries.

Governor Dickson, who expressed satisfaction with the level of work done so far, expressed the hope that, academic work would commence at the medical university by the first quarter of 2019.

He explained that a Project Coordinator, Mr. Benniah Oye, had been appointed to ensure the smooth and speedy completion of the project and called on young Bayelsans with a desire to pursue careers in medicine and other related fields, to be prepared to take advantage of the new institution.

Said he: “This will pass for one of the best medical university and one of the best in the world and that’s why I have taken time to appoint Prof. Etebu here, the registrar and all of them to start this institution.

“This will train all categories of medical personnel, not just to serve Bayelsa. My dream is beyond Bayelsa. We want to train Doctors, nurses and pharmacist that will be exported to other states and countries. That is why we are building the schools and other tertiary institutions even at a period of recession.

“I hope that even if the present generation may not understand the full range of our vision of building the future of the state around human capital, posterity will vindicate us and we are making painful decisions to make this dream a reality.

“I call on the acting Vice Chancellor who has worked with me closely and whose judgement and capacity I have confidence in, to be resolute in the desire to actualise it.

“I have appointed the project coordinator in person of Mr Benniah Oye and I am pleased that from the last time I was here till now, we are seeing changes, and we want to see more changes.

“I call on all young Bayelsans, who want to pursue careers in medicine and related fields to get ready.

“We want Bayelsa to be the center of educational excellence. This is the headquarters of human capacity development and that’s our vision for the future so young Bayelsan who to be doctors pharmacist radiologist, etc.

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