Politics
RVHA, RSSDA And Overseas Medical Students
In the exercise of its over
sight
function, the Rivers State House of Assembly recently summoned the executive
Director of the State Sustainable Development Agency (RSSDA), Mr. Noble Pepple
to appear before the lawmakers on its overseas scholarship programme.
The invitation was sequel to a petition by the students of
Rivers oversea medical programme in the united Kingdom through their parents,
alleging that the RSSDA took the 2008 batch of foreign medical students to
Britain and abandoned them to their fate.
Upon the presentation of the petition on the floor of the
Assembly, the Speaker, Rt. Hon. Otelemaba Amachree, directed the House
Committee on public complaints and petition to investigate the allegations
contained in the petition. Titled “The plight of Rivers State Government
sponsored medical students in the United Kingdom (2008 batch) to complete their
MBBS programme”.
Based on the issues canvassed in the said petition, the
committee was given two weeks to investigate the matter and report their
finding to the House for necessary intervention.
Chairman of the Committee, Hon. Michael Okey-Chinda and his
members went to work immediately and submitted their report in record time.
The findings of the Committee raised a lot of questions during
debate and that precipitated the resolution of the Assembly to invite the RSSDA
Executive Director via a unanimous voice vote by members.
The date was Wednesday, August 22, 2012, the Chamber created
an atmosphere of a tensed situation, suspense laced with mixed expectations as
the scenario and the gallery looked as if prospective commissioners were
undergoing screening. And to set the tone for the day’s business, the clerk of
the Assembly read out only two items in the order paper, namely the presentation
of Education Committee report on the outcome of its public hearing on the
Rivers State Education Quality Assurance Agency Bill, and the appearance of the
RSSDA Executive Director over the plight of State Government-sponsored medical
students in the United Kingdom.
The House Committee Chairman on education, Hon. Augustine
Ngo, delivered his report and debate was deferred to Monday August 27, 2012.
meanwhile, the bill has been passed by the lawmakers to give credence to
government vision of improving the standard of education to justify the huge
investment in the sector.
To set the stage for the item, the Leader of the House, Hon.
Chidi Lloyd, moved a motion to allow the RSSDA boss and his officials access
the hallowed Chamber as well as parents of the embattled students.
In the report submitted and adopted as working document of
the Assembly, Chairman of the House Committee on public complaints and
Petition, Hon. Michael Okey-Chinda, held that the petitioners were the first
batch of 2008 set of students sent to United Kingdom under the RSSDA’s overseas
medical programe.
Unfortunately, they were denied direct admission to study
medicine due to non-possession of A’level certificates.
As a result of this deficiency, they were enrolled into
foundation programmes in order to prepare them for direct admission into
medical schools in UK, but the late commencement of the preparatory programme
coupled with the government’s policy of limited space for foreign students,
none of the 2008/2009 batch succeeded in gaining admission to study medicine.
The Committee noted that following the development, the
students were subsequently admitted into school of Bio-medical sciences of the
University of Newcastle, UK and they obtained Bachelor of Science (B.Sc),
degrees in Pharmacology, Physiology, Bio-Chemistry, Micro-Biology, Bio-Medical
Sciences collectively referred to as premedical degrees.
However, to achieve their dream of becoming medical doctors,
the students approached the institution for admission but were rather offered
placements in Malaysia-based Newscastle University Medical School campus.
Surprising to the students, the authorities of RSSDA failed
to recognise the admission on the ground that the institution was not
accredited and issued them notification letters for their return back home,
having completed first degree programmes abroad.
As if the trauma of the students were not enough, the Agency
disbursed only £400 (four hundred pounds) to about 50 per cent of the students
in the programme out of their normal £800 (eight hundred pounds) monthly upkeep
and accommodation allowance.
The RSSDA team on the floor of the Assembly were the
Executive Director, Coordinator of the overseas scholarship, Mr. Godwin Poi,
and a professional U.K.-based consultant, Mrs blessing Tasie.
Although, the central cooling system of the Assembly was
working at optimum capacity, those who appeared before it were visibly
perspiring profusely as they battled to give cogent answers to the issues at
stake.
Members of the House put a few questions to the officials of
the Agency: the questions included which admission letter(s) the agency used to
secure UK Visa for the students?, who screened the students and found them
qualified for UK medical schools admission? Was the Agency not aware that they possessed
O’level and not A’level certificates before inviting them for their strict
aptitude test which the students passed? And what was the role of the UK based
consultant, Mrs Blessing Tasie, to the agency on the admission procedures
stipulated for medicine and the fact that only seven per cent placement was
reserved for all foreign students in Uk as a government policy?
Mrs Tasie was tongue-lashed for her inability to discharge
the responsibility placed on her shoulders, while Mr. Godwin Poi, struggled
fruitlessly to provide satifactory answers to the issues raised.
The more he tried, the more loopholes were created.
However, Mr. Pepple explained that during the period under
discussion, he was not part of the agency but acknowledged the failures which he
noted were regrettable and hinged his defence on the fact that 2008 batch was a
test case, coupled with the pressure to immediately kick start the programme.
He explained that the agency has since acquired a lot of
experience after the first experiment and therefore, has not recorded any more
case of this nature.
The RSSDA boss told the lawmakers that if any of the
premedical graduates secures admission on their own to study medicine in Uk,
the agency may be willing to sponsor, while promising to offset the areas of
the students upkeep allowance, subject to release of funds.
The Assembly, therefore, allied itself with the fears
expressed by the students and their parents of possible abandonement on return
and resolved that RSSDA should work cooperately with the premedical graduates
to seek for admission in any other of the nine countries covered by the
scholarship programme instead of limiting it to UK medical schools, adding that
it will help the students fulfill their ambition of becoming medical doctors and
contribute to the needed manpower in the health sector.
The lawmakers accepted the recommendation of the committee
that the agency maintains its stand on the Malaysia Medical School campus of
the Newscastle Unviersity as state funds should not be spent to acquire
unaccredited medical degrees.
They equally resolved that since their Visas will expire in
December 2012, they should return home while RSSDA collaborates with them to
get another admission and fully sponsor, in view of the fact that the fault was
not from the students.
The House also expressed appreciation that all the students
performed well in the programmes they were enrolled in and urged the affected
premedical degree graudates to remain grateful to the state government for the
opportunity and seeing them through the four-year academic sponsorship in spite
of the temporary set back.
The Tide source reports that Prof. Akinoso was elected alongside 38 other executive members of the party at the congress held on Saturday.
Other executive members are Dr Abiola Olaonipekun, who emerged as Secretary, Alhaja Latifah Latifu, Women Leader and Mr A. Adeleke, elected as Youth Leader.
It was learnt that the congress, which took place at the Obafemi Awolowo Stadium, Oke Ado in Ibadan, was attended by representatives of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the Police, other security agencies and prominent members of the party.
The election was supervised by electoral committee members, among whom were Prince Diran Odeyemi, who served as Chairman, Hon. Awoniyi Tolulope, Mr Babatunde Gbadamosi, Queen Stepheine Oyechere, Alhaji Yusuf Abidakun, Mr Olumide Aguda and Dr Phillips Adeniyi, who served as Secretary.
Prof. Akinoso, in his inaugural address, urged members of the party to set aside intra-party differences.
He advised them to concentrate their resources on the promotion of the party, saying, “The primary responsibilities of party executive members are to coordinate party activities, ensure harmony among members, and ensure party victory during general elections.
“Our immediate assignments are to key into INEC released 2027 general election time-tables. As directed by the National Caretaker Committee of PDP, our party e-membership registration starts next week. We must be fully involved and do a membership drive.
“A political party is only relevant and benefits its members if it wins the election. This is our goal. We should set aside intra-party differences; concentrate our resources towards the promotion of the party. We will make necessary consultations and dialogue to actualise this”.
President Tinubu disclosed this during an interfaith breaking of fast with senior journalists and media executives at the Presidential Villa in Abuja on Saturday.
He also disclosed that his administration had opened up on the principles of true federalism to the extent that local governments now get direct allocation from the Federal Government.
“There’s no morning that I ever leave my house without going through the newspapers. It’s an addiction. I read all of you.
“It might not be in full detail, but headline, the one that would hit me and the ones that won’t.
“At the beginning of this administration, I was just a little bit stubborn, looking at opportunities to correct things and make life more easier for the downtrodden.
“We’ve opened up the principle of federalism to the extent that local governments are now getting their money, but how they use it is in your hands. So, don’t bombard me alone,” President Tinubu said.
The ruling party said the ADC had turned criticism of the APC-led administration into its operating manifesto instead of presenting concrete solutions to Nigeria’s economic challenges.
In a statement issued on Saturday by the APC National Publicity Secretary, Mr Felix Morka, the party dismissed the ADC’s interpretation of a report presented at a policy dialogue organised by Agora Policy which suggested that the country’s poverty rate had risen from 49 per cent to 63 per cent.
Mr Morka said the opposition party’s reaction to the report as a “damning verdict” on the government’s economic policies reflected either ignorance of economic realities or deliberate political mischief.
“The African Democratic Congress’ attempt to spin a recent report presented at the Agora Policy dialogue indicating a rise of poverty rate of 63 per cent from 49 per cent as a damning verdict on this administration’s economic policies speaks either to its shocking ignorance of economic policy or its wilful blindness to the justification for, and transformative impacts of, ongoing economic reforms,” he said.
The APC spokesman noted that the report itself recognised the necessity of reforms aimed at correcting long-standing structural distortions in the economy.
According to him, the ADC had failed to present any credible alternative policy direction for Nigerians.
“Clearly, the ADC does not recognise itself as a political party. The ADC has not articulated a single alternative policy position or prescription of benefit to Nigerians. Condemning the APC and its policies has become its operating manifesto,” Mr Morka said.
He explained that major economic decisions taken by President Bola Tinubu, including the removal of fuel subsidy and the unification of multiple foreign exchange windows, were necessary steps to rescue the country’s economy from collapse.
Mr Morka said the subsidy regime had for years placed a heavy burden on public finances, consuming trillions of naira annually while encouraging corruption, fuel smuggling and inefficiencies in the system.
He added that the reforms had helped redirect national resources to key sectors such as infrastructure, healthcare, education and social development.
The APC spokesman acknowledged that economic reforms often come with short-term hardship but stressed that the measures were essential to build a stronger and more resilient economy.
“Economic reform is never cost-free anywhere in the world. The transient hardship experienced by Nigerians was an inevitable cost of reforms meant to build and guarantee a better future for all Nigerians,” he said.
Mr Morka maintained that the country’s economic outlook was already improving, citing recent growth figures and stronger external reserves.
“Our economy has rebounded and is expanding steadily. The country’s Gross Domestic Product grew by 4.4 per cent last year and is projected to expand by 5.5 per cent this fiscal year, with foreign reserves now exceeding $50 billion,” he stated.
He also pointed to government initiatives designed to cushion the effects of economic adjustments on citizens, including cash transfer programmes, student loan schemes and the rollout of compressed natural gas (CNG) initiatives to reduce transportation costs.
Mr Morka reaffirmed that the APC-led administration would remain focused on rebuilding the economy and expanding social investments to support vulnerable Nigerians.
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