You're a Symbol of Contemporary Development -Pharmaceutical Society Tells FULokoja VC

The Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN) has described the Vice-Chancellor of the Federal University Lokoja (FUL), Prof. Olayemi Akinwumi as a "man of honour and a symbol of contemporary development.

" PSN disclosed this when the Kogi State Chapter of the professional body, led by its Chairman, Dr. Lawal Muhammed Omuya, paid a courtesy visit to the Vice-Chancellor at his office. PSN, an umbrella body of all Pharmacists in Nigeria, was founded in 1927 with the sole aim of maintaining a high standard of professionalism and discipline among its members and the Pharmaceutical sector.

Speaking during the visit, Dr. Omuya noted that the Vice-Chancellor was matching words with actions and living up to his vision plan which he presented publicly during his inauguration as the 3rd Vice-Chancellor in February 2021, among which was to ensure that FUL leads the nine (9) Federal Universities established in Nigeria in 2011 and make it one of Africa's foremost Universities recognized globally. 

The Association commended the Vice-Chancellor for his giant and courageous step in establishing top-rated programmes like Medicine, Engineering, Nursing, and, recently, Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D) - offered by a few Universities in Nigeria - all within the space of three (3) years in office, saying these admirable efforts were testament to his visionary leadership and unparalleled commitment to taking the thirteen-year-old University to its zenith sooner than envisaged.

Reading through his speech with all sense of delight and enthusiasm, the Chairman spoke further: "I was not mincing words in our last visit dated June 7, 2021, to acknowledge and express our profuse joy for the bold and courageous steps you took to establish College of Medicine and Faculty of Engineering when we suggested that you use your good office to rephrased the name College of Medicine to College of Health Sciences to accommodate other health-related courses so that our children could be relieved of the stress they go through when seeking admission into universities for these courses - Pharmacy, Nursing, Medical Laboratory Sciences, this you immediately and graciously granted. On that day, I said, as a son of the soil, we believe you will take this great Institution to the zenith of excellence.

"With the take-off standard you and your management team have set sir, we are convinced that the Institution will get there sooner than we envisaged. We are happy as a professional body, that FUL has joined the few Universities in Nigeria offering a Doctor of Pharmacy program. Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D) is the minimum qualification to practice as a pharmacist in advanced countries like the United States of America (USA). This is a great achievement sir.

"For this reason and more, we are here again to say a big THANK YOU as you have made good of your promise at our Pharmacy Week 2023, through your representative, in your acceptance speech during the award conferment as FRIEND OF PHARMACY - a noble and prestigious profession. In that event, you promised us that the Pharmacy program in FUL would commence before the next edition of Pharmacy Week. This is fast coming to pass. You are a man of honor sir and a symbol of contemporary development, we are indeed very proud of you, no doubt you have demonstrated competence and capacity in all that you do." 

Furthermore, the Association pledged its support and willingness to complement the efforts of the administration in terms of the availability of quality manpower needed to drive the new programme scheduled to commence next year. The Pharmaceutical Society, which said it encourages regular health checkups and preventive medicine, presented a digital thermometer and some drugs to the Vice-Chancellor wishing him good health and more achievement.

Reacting, the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Olayemi Akinwumi, expressed deep appreciation to the Society for their support and encouragement. He maintained that he was inspired to establish the medical programmes as a result of the difficulties indigenes of Kogi State pass through to secure admission, and most times even denied the opportunity, into these highly competitive programmes in other reputable Universities in Nigeria. Prof. Akinwumi added that Kogi indigenes, who are the major beneficiaries of these laudable efforts, can now heave a sigh of relief. He equally presented the University's souvenir to the State Chairman of the Pharmaceutical Society. See more pictures here