FUHSA matriculates over 1000 students for 2024/2025 Academic Session
By Mohammed Kaka Misau
The Federal University of Health Sciences Azare FUHSA has on Saturday conducted a matriculation ceremony to usher in 1,178 newly admitted students into the Institution’s 2024/2025 Academic Session.
Speaking during the third matriculation ceremony, Vice Chancellor of the University, Professor Bala M. Audu warned the students against indulging in actions that are capable of jeopardizing their studies.
He informed the students that the matriculation ceremony was been conducted in line with the tradition of officially welcoming them as bonafide members of the Institution on a study cause.
“As the tradition demands, the management is here today to perform this pre-requisite function of officially inducting you into the mainstream of Federal University of Health Sciences, Azare community”, the Vice Chancellor said.
“You should know that thousands qualified young Nigerian candidates like you, are out there seeking for admission but may not get admitted into any university. Your admission into this University is highly competitive and for a purpose, and the purpose is to groom and train you to be useful to yourself, your family, society, the Nation and humanity”, he added .
The VC who congratulated the students, also enjoined them to be “law abiding and face your studies with all the seriousness it deserves so that at the end, you, your parents, and the University shall celebrate your success”.
According to him, since the establishment of the University in 2021, the management has made “Zero tolerance to all kinds of social vices, such as cultism, examination misconducts, sexual harassment, drug abuse, homosexuality, lesbianism, indecent dressing, vandalism, theft and truancy to be part of the Institution’s core values.
He warned that such anti-social behaviours are not only frowned at but also prohibited, and that FUHSA would be known not only for giving knowledge but also for moulding character and behavior of its students to become good ambassadors of the nation.
The Vice Chancellor sternly warned that those who break the rules shall be made to face the Disciplinary Committee, which can result in dismissal from the University.
“Let me re-iterate the fact that higher institutions cannot operate in absolute isolation from the communities where they are found. You are to interact with your immediate University Community and the Community of Azare town with positive energy contributing in trust and honesty to its progress and development”, Professor Audu said.
The VC informed the students that the Oath they took is an indication of their readiness and acceptance to abide by FUHSA laws and statutes as well as a promise that they will conduct themselves with decorum during their stay in the Institution.
He assured them that the university had made a provision for an acceptable standard academic facilities and welfare for their studies.
“As you may be aware, the five pioneer programmes MBBS, Dentistry, Nursing Sciences, Radiography and Human Nutrition and Dietetics have faced NUC accreditation last three weeks and we are optimistic that all the Programmes will scale through and get full accreditation status by the NUC”, he said.
The VC added that the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN) will also come for MBBS and Dentistry Accreditation in early 2025, pointing out that the other six courses in Allied Health Sciences would also face the same accreditation exercise next year and the Management will do everything that is required to get our programmes accredited by all regulatory bodies and agencies.
Professor Audu disclosed plans by the university management to introduce new courses for the university to have full complement of all other Health related courses to make the University a complete entity in the nearest future.
The University Management expressed profound appreciation to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu through the Honourable Minister of Health Prof. Mohammed Ali Pate for upgrading the Federal Medical Centre, Azare to Teaching Hospital which will serve as a Training ground and facility for the University Students.
He said that the introduction of NELFUND Scheme by the President and the subsequent released of the Funds to the beneficiaries (benefitting) students is highly commendable and timely.
Prof Audu who urged the students to take advantage of the Scheme to ease their studies, appreciated the North East Governors Forum for their support to the University.
“The Forum has facilitated the allocation of a special intervention project for the construction of Centre for Child and Maternal Health in the University, by the North East Development Commission.
We also want to put on record our special appreciation and gratitude to His Excellency, the Executive Governor of Borno State, Prof. Babagana Umara Zulum for the support he accorded to the University by donating the sum of fifty million Naira (N50,000,000:00) to the University for the purchase of Lab Equipment for the Dentistry Programme (Panthom Heads)”, he said.
He further said Governor Zulum has just awarded a contract for the construction of 6 3-Bedrooms houses as visiting professorial quarters in the University and at the same time offering scholarships to all Borno State students in the University.
The FUHSA vice Chancellor also thanked Governor Bala Mohammed of Bauchi state for the introduction of “pre-service scheme” to the MBBS, Dentistry and Nursing Students, requesting the Governor to expand the scope to cover other programmes.
“Let me use this opportunity to show the University’s appreciation of the supports being given to the University by the Bauchi State Government and the Katagum Emirate Council which are a clear manifestation of their seriousness and determination to the development of education as vehicle for transformation”, the vice Chancellor stated.
