Blessing Ibunge in Port Harcourt
Governor Nyesom Wike has donated the sum of N500 million to PAMO University of Medical Sciences (PUMS), Port Harcourt as an encouragement to continue to promote quality tertiary medical education in Rivers state.
The Rivers State governor made the donation yesterday, in his remarks while inaugurating the 250 beds PAMO Teaching Hospital in Iriebe, Obio/Akpor Local Government Area of the state.
Governor Wike who commended the former state governor and founder of PAMO Educational Foundation, Dr Peter Odili for his wealthy investment and development in the state, especially in health sector, said the institution is the first private university established in Rivers State
The governor, who said since its inception the management of the school has proven to be worthwhile therefore, not misplaced, stressed that Rivers indigenes who have benefited from the state’s scholarship will have to work for the state for a number of years.
He said in its five years of establishment, from 2018 till date, PAMO University of Medical Sciences was being celebrated because of the quality of students it has groomed already, and the satisfying growth it has witnessed.
According to Wike, Dr. Odili, after his years as governor of Rivers State, did not go into retirement or relocate to Abuja to join association of former governors, but established the University to offer more humanity service to the
society.
He said:”I want to thank Dr Peter Odili, haven finished as a governor of the state for eight years, he didn’t go to Abuja to stay and find a pressure group to join as former member or former governor forum, no. He said I am not tired to serve humanity.
“PAMO University started 2018, we are in 2023. We talking about opening a Teaching Hospital of that university, just in five years. And look at documentation of National University Commission (NUC), by the Medical and Dental Council, just five years.
“What does it states, a man who has passion to whatever he place his hand, he want to see it come to reality. It is not easy and look at the quality of students, that shows you the kind of product that they will selling out in the market. I am very proud of that.
“In the next 10 years as far as medicine is concern, you will see that Rivers State will be hub of even exporting our doctors to those states that could not have. So in order to protect ourselves, I now come up with the policy and which I have told the governor elect, it is better they sign an agreement with us that they are going to work for Rivers State government for some number of years so that we don’t lose out. “I am very happy that I am leaving office on Monday but I am proud to say that I am associated with this beautiful, great project. If I have opportunities I will do more to what I have done. But I can’t leave without giving them a parting gift.
“I am not here to many anybody happy but God. Sir, I will support you so that you can buy more equipments, you can do more things. The incoming governor, the first money he will pay as at 12 o’clock on May 29, he should release to you the sum of N500million to support the university and through the work you are doing”, Governor Wike added.
In his remark, Dr Odili, who is also the Pro-chancellor of the University, described Wike as the best governor Rivers has ever produced. He named the hospital after the outgoing governor, commending him for the numerous support to the health sector in the state.
Dr Odili disclosed that the Wike-led government established an annual scholarship scheme for at least 100 indigenous students in the institution
But after the first year of implementation, he emphasised, the number of benefiting students was increased subsequently and until date, the State is not indebted to the institution.
Dr. Odili, who said the PAMO University Teaching Hospital is designed to be accessible to the poor in the society, said: “This will be the destination of hope, survival for sick people that will need the services here. This centre will be known for having staff that will treat their patients like their employers.”
Chairman of the programme, Justice Umar Abdullahi stated that the Teaching Hospital project signifies the giant strides taken by the institution. He called on the management to ensure efficient maintenance of the equipments and be a great assistant to humanity through their good service delivery.
In her speech, the Chief Medical Director of the hospital, Prof. Christie Mato, commended Governor Wike for providing opportunity for Rivers youths to become medical doctors through scholarship.
