A University don, Dr. Theophilus Udeani, has urged graduands of the Medical Laboratory Science Department, ESUT, Enugu State, to embrace politics in order to help redirect the political fortunes of Nigeria.
Dr. Udeani of the Department of Medical Laboratory Science, University of Nigeria Enugu Campus who doubled as chairman of the occasion during the induction ceremony for the 3rd Batch of Medical Laboratory Science graduands of ESUCOM, weekend, added that touts and never-do-wells have taken over political positions in Nigeria because people of conscience continued to maintain neutral stance.
The don urged the 46 inductees and Nigerian youths at large to rise to the occasion by wrestling political powers from kleptomaniacs who bestride themselves in political robes in Nigeria, noting that the Graduands have been academically prepared to carve niches for themselves in the medical profession.
Earlier in his opening remarks, the Vice Chancellor of the Enugu State University of Science and Technology, ESUT, Prof. Aloysius-Michaels Okolie, appealed to the graduands to resist the temptation of leaving the shores of Nigeria to render services abroad.
The Vice Chancellor, who made the appeal before the graduands were inducted into the Medical Laboratory Science Council of Nigeria, MLSCN, at the Auditorium of ESUCOM, said there would be dearth of laboratory scientists should they leave Nigeria to seek greener pastures abroad. Prof. Okolie, who was represented by his Deputy, Prof. Chike Nwoha, equally enjoined the graduands to be good ambassadors of ESUT by desisting from practices capable of tarnishing the image of the University before its various publics. While congratulating the graduands, he encouraged them to work hard and also enjoined them to always seek ways of supporting their Alma Mater through infrastructure upgrade.
The Registrar of MLSCN, Dr. Tosan Erhabor, who was represented by a Deputy Director, Ihuoma Nnenna Nzeakor, while performing the induction told the graduands that MLSCN had zero-tolerance for misconducts, and enjoined them to shun all forms of financial gratification which would make them breach the ethics of the profession.
Earlier in his opening remarks, the Provost of ESUCOM, Prof. Frank Ezugwu, while congratulating the graduands, enjoined them to enroll for specialized courses in the profession in order to distinguish themselves amongst their colleagues.
He emphasized that “medical profession is a call to saving lives,” stating that the graduands of the University have performed well in their places of work because of the level of quality trainings they received from the Institution.
The Provost informed the inductees that MLSCN, has increased the admission quota of the Medical Laboratory Science Department of ESUCOM from 35 to 120 and thanked the Registrar, Dr. Erhabor, for considering the request of the College.
He further said that the quota will further increase if the Department meets other necessary requirements by the regulatory body of the profession, insisting that the College would not rest on its oars in producing quality medical graduands. Prof Ezugwu equally thanked the Enugu State Government, ESUT Management, and the staff of the College for their continued supports.
In his presentation, titled ‘Who Do Men Say You Are, and Who Are You’? the Induction Guest Lecturer, Prof. Onyenekwe Chinedum, urged the graduands to embark on personal trainings to improve themselves.
While maintaining that medical practice relys on validation of test methodologies, Prof.Chinedum, of the Department of Medical Laboratory Science, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Anambra State, urged the graduands to improve their skills on research and development.
He listed trouble-shooting of instruments, analysis of test results, ensuring quality specimen, equipment maintenance, and calibration as some of the roles of Medical Laboratory Scientists.
While giving her valedictory speech, the best-graduating student of the Batch, Eberechukwu Okoh, said that God was behind her success stories.
Okoh, who made first-class to graduate top of her class also said that in obedience to the constituted authority in the College, she shunned all forms of examination malpractices.
She appreciated the Management of the University, and her lecturers for the cordial relationship which they extended to her class.