Ben Ezechime, Enugu
The Enugu State University of Science and Technology (ESUT), has inducted 70 pioneer graduates of Department of Nursing Sciences into the nursing profession.
The induction brought to an end a seven-year wait by the graduands due to lack of accreditation.
The induction was conducted by the Registrar of the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria (NMCN) Alhaji Alhassan Ndagi to formally usher the graduates into the noble healthcare profession.
It would be recalled that the inductees began their academic journey in 2018 without accreditation for the programme.
Speaking, the Chairman of the occasion and Special Adviser to the Governor on Health, Dr Yomi Jaye, described the event as a celebration of vision, resilience, and political will.
He recounted how the students had been plunged into despair following years of delay due to lack of accreditation.
He said that on assumption of office, Governor Peter Mbah swiftly ensured the programme met the standards required by the National Universities Commission (NUC) and the NMCN.
“At the beginning of this administration, we were saddled with the task of strengthening our nursing and medical education.
“We carried out a baseline assessment of all the institutions and discovered there was no accreditation for 19 years.
“We approached the NUC and the Nursing Council, the governor backed us with all the necessary support and resources, and we worked alongside the university day and night.
“They didn’t just accredit them, they also indexed the backlog,” he said.
According to him, the governor’s commitment to revamping the education and health sectors through massive investments has brought smiles to the graduates.
The SA said that before now, the school had 50 admission slots, but with the intervention of the government, it has been expanded to 120.
“And today, we’re audaciously pushing forward for 400,” he said.
He charged the newly inducted nurses to carry out their duties with compassion and empathy, urging them to uphold the ethics of the profession and always place the welfare of patients above all else.
“You are trained to heal. Be kind, be humane. Let compassion guide your practice,” he said.
In his remarks, the Vice Chancellor of ESUT, Prof. Aloysius Okorie, said the ceremony was a turning point in the university’s history and thanked the governor for his unwavering support.
He said that ESUT was proud to produce “the best-trained nurses in Nigeria,” through the innovative teaching methods and experiential learning models introduced by the administration.
Also speaking, the Provost of the ESUT College of Medicine, Prof. Uchenna Ekwochi, highlighted the government’s commitment to education.
He said that although the ESUT College of Medicine was established in 2006, the department of nursing sciences was not operating due to lack of accreditation by the appropriate authorities until 2018 when it formally kicked off.
While conducting the induction and oath-taking ceremony, the NMCN Registrar, Alhaji Alhassan Ndagi expressed satisfaction with the resilience and commitment of the school management in ensuring quality education in the university system.
“I want to congratulate the Vice Chancellor and all members of the university management. You have done so well in grooming these graduands in both character and learning.”
Prof. Ndagi charged the newly inducted nurses to observe the ethics of the profession, maintain confidentiality, and attend to their patients with undivided attention.
In their heartfelt addresses, Ejiofor-Ozoagu Chidinma and Anumaka Chukwuebuka Godswill, representatives of the newly inducted nurses, thanked the governor for restoring their dignity and future.
