By Ralph Omololu Agbana.
The Senate Committee on Health (Secondary and Tertiary) on Wednesday adopted the motion to establish a Federal University of Medicine and Medical Sciences, Egbe, Kogi State.
The adoption followed a motion moved by the Vice-chairman, Senate Committee on Health, Senator Betty Apiafi (Rivers West) and Seconded by Senator Chukwuka Utazi, representing Enugu North and was supported by members of the public present, unopposed at the public hearing held at the Senate Building.
The bill titled “Federal University of Medicine and Medical Sciences, Egbe, Kogi State (Establishment) Bill, 2022 (SB. 896), which had earlier passed first and second eading on the floor of the Senate, is sponsored by Senator Smart Adeyemi, Kogi West.
During the presentation of the bill, Senator Adeyemi told members of the Senate Committee on Health, chaired by Senator Yahaya Oloriegbe (Kwara Central) and representatives of Egbe and Yagba communities from Kogi State that the bill was in tandem with contemporary trends of establishing universities of speciality, globally. The university of medicine and medical sciences being proposed, he noted will be complimented by the massive medical facility in the host community, ECWA Hospital, Egbe, established 70 years ago and the College of Nursing and Midwifery.
He said the bill was a positive reaction to Senate’s approval for the establishment of federal universities of medical sciences in each of the six geo- political zones of the country.
He said his job in the national assembly includes making laws and while caling on the executive to meet the needs and aspirations of the people of his constituency through appropriate legislation.
“It is ignorance to think we play politics by legislation. Once a bill is passed it can never die”, he added
Egbe Community, in their position paper in support of the proposed University in their domain listed the suitability of Egbe as the location to include the availability of ECWA Hospital, College of Nursing, Titcombe College, Egbe airstrip, landscape and an accommodating people in Egbe and across neighbouring communities of Yagba. Federal Constituency.
Senator Oloriegbe, at the public hearing said the bill for the establishment of Federal University of Medicine and Medical Sciences Egbe succeeded on merit.
The Committee also approved the upgrade of the Federal Medical Centre (FMC) Lokoja to Federal University of Lokoja Teaching Hospital to compliment the Federal University in the state capital.
