ABUAD best Med doctor, Esther Azom gets N5.7m car, Breaks Academic Reward Jinx
UCH offers graduands automatic internship
For recording distinctions in all the three final medical examinations of Surgery, Medicine and Community Medicine, making her the best pioneer medical graduate of the Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti (ABUAD), Azom Esther, has been rewarded with a car gift worth N5.7 million and about N1 million cash award. The four-door saloon car, donated by the founder of Coscharis Group Nigeria Limited, Mr. Cosmos Maduka, was presented to Esther yesterday, during the induction ceremony for the university’s pioneer medical graduates. This was as the management of the University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan, has offered automatic housemanship opportunities to three of the pioneer 43 medical graduates. Similarly, the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, Ojaja II, announced the donation of N1 million for the class of the pioneer graduates and N250,000 cash award to the best graduating student, Esther. Other monarchs, including the Ewi of Ado-Ekiti, Oba Rufus Adejuyigbe Aladesanmi III, and his Osemawe of Ondo Kingdom counterpart, Oba (Dr.) Victor Kiladejo, also announced cash awards worth half a million naira to the best students.
The induction ceremony, which was conducted by the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN), was described by the Council as unprecedented, saying the production of medical students in just six and a half years, is worthy of commendation. Speaking on behalf of MDCN, the Registrar, Dr. Tajudeen Sanusi, who read the medical oath to the new doctors, urged them to live by the rules of the profession. He said whatever action they take henceforth will now be scrutinised by the public because the best is expected of them.
The Minister of Education, Malam Adamu Adamu, who was represented by the Vice-Chancellor of the Federal University, Oye- Ekiti, Prof. Kayode Soremekun, described ABUAD and its founder as trailblazers, promising improved education sector in the country. On his part, the President of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), Dr. Francis Faduyile, while welcoming the new graduates to the medical profession, advised them to be disciplined, focused, and committed to the service of humanity. Speaking at a lecture earlier, the Chief Medical Director (CMD) of UCH, Prof. Temitope Alonge, said he was not only impressed by the facilities in the school, but also by the brilliance displayed by the fresh graduates in their final examinations. While announcing the offer of housemanship opportunity to the best three graduates of the 43 new doctors, CMD of UCH hailed the university owner and management for the quality investments in education.
In his remark, Aare Babalola said he was impressed by the support the university has continued to receive from prominent Nigerians, but rued the degeneration in the country’s socio-economic development. He blamed the development on the concentration of power at the centre and called for structural adjustment of Nigeria’s constitution to give more power to the regions or states for meaningful rapid development. The event was graced by prominent Nigerians including former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Alhaji Yayale Ahmed; former Minister of State for Works, Prince Dayo Adeyeye; and former Executive Secretary of NUC, Prof. Peter Okebukola, among others.
