ON TUESDAY 19TH DECEMBER 2023
Protocols
1. I am delighted to be here at the 3rd Convocation ceremony of the Pam University of Medical Sciences (PUMS).
2. For me, it is a pleasure to be here to witness, honour, and celebrate the graduation of the first set of 40 medical students from the portals of this prestigious institution.
3. First, let me thank the founder, the Board of Trustees, and the Governing Council for the kind invitation for me to participate in this memorable event as the Special Guest and congratulate the Management for the excellent organisation of this Convocation.
4. On behalf of the people and Government of Rivers State, I extend hearty congratulations to each of the graduates proudly seated today to receive your degrees, awards, and prizes.
5. As graduates of PUMS, you have been adequately trained and certified to this moment to be academically, physically, mentally, and socially sound and qualified to be released onto the world for a life of service after enduring endless years of hard work, apprehensions, and discipline.
6. You must count yourselves lucky for graduating and moving on to residencies at a time when medical doctors and allied professionals are in short supply in virtually every part of the world as nations redouble their efforts and commitments to achieve sustainable healthcare for their citizens.
7. Therefore, as you step into the beginning of what I expect to be a life-long career in the medical field, I can assure you that Rivers State, Nigeria, and the world are waiting to engage you and benefit from your knowledge, skills, and services.
8. To make your mark in your professional career, you must be ready to affect your patients and workplace with humility, discipline, dedication, and good conduct anchored in the ethics of your profession and the values of Pamo University of Medical Sciences.
9. Also, do not forget that today is an opportunity for thanksgiving to God for his mercy, to your teachers for teaching and nurturing you through your studies, and to your parents, family, friends, and colleagues for their support and help directly and indirectly in getting you to this point.
10. I further urge you to continue to seek greater knowledge, improve your skills, operate with the highest ethical standards of the medical profession as espoused in the Hippocratic Oath, and remember to always find purpose in what you do because qualification comes from dedication, dedication comes from determination, determination comes from inspiration, inspiration comes from imagination and imagination comes from within. Behind every successful person is an out of control imagination, please think highly of yourself, no matter what satan throws at you.
11. As a government, the provision of a quality education system and affordable public healthcare services are two vital priorities of our administration.
12. While some progress has been made, it is obvious that a lot still needs to be done to achieve our collective aspirations for universal access to quality education and healthcare for our people. I need not say that no society can progress without educated and healthy people.
13. However, with a doctor-patient ratio of 1:9,083, Nigeria needs many more doctors and health professionals to fill the huge deficit in the healthcare workforce, but since the available public institutions lack adequate capacity, the best approach is to encourage and support responsive private sector investments to enhance the education and delivery of quality healthcare in the country.
14. This is the basis of the beneficial collaboration between the PUMS and the Rivers State Government,where we have maintained and sustained a dedicated all inclusive scholarship programme for our indigenous students since the university’s inception, which we have already further extended.
15. Let me at this point warmly appreciate and most sincerely commend our political father and leader, His Excellency Sir Peter Otunaya Odili CON, GSSRS for his, yet, another, pace-setting achievement as the first indigene of Rivers State to found and site private university in the State.
16. The most exciting and inspirational aspect of your effort, thus far, is the near-magical transformation of the PUMS within six years into one of the country’s most outstanding private medical institutions that is attracting our youths to its temple of learning while showing the way ahead as a leading university to produce quality medical doctors and other healthcare professionals for the nation.
17. Indeed, I am amazed at the quality and quantity of educational facilities, including the teaching hospital, the adorable learning environment, the standards and values, and the quality of the teaching and non-academic staff who have been instrumental to the unprecedented success
PUMS has attained in such a short time.
18. There is no doubt that PUMS is doing great for Rivers State and the nation in the production of doctors and other healthcare professionals.
19. I assure you that we have no choice as the government but to continue to offer tangible material support to enable the university to widen the scope and quality of medical education and services it provides in our State.
20. Finally, as they transit to the next phase of practical training and specialization, I wish all the graduands great success in their professional career and a life of commitment to the service of our country and humanity.
21. Thank you and may God bless you.
