UNIOSUN Medical Students Return, Praise Aregbesola’s Government

The Medical Students of the Osun State University (UNIOSUN), who were sponsored by the Osun State Government to Ukraine in 2013 to complete their medical studies returned to Nigeria on Saturday evening after four and a half years of study overseas.

The medical students graduated last month from the V.Kharkiv National University, Kharkiv in Ukraine.

They were received by the Commissioner for Innovation, Science and Technology, Hon. Remi Omowaye; Special Adviser to Governor Aregbesola on Higher Education, Scholarship and Bursary, Professor Grace Akinola among other top government officials.

It would be recalled that Governor Rauf Aregbesola had in 2013 approved a sum of N152 million to support the medical education of 85 students of the UNOSUN to Ukraine National University so as to aid the transfer of the medical students whose academic activities were stopped due to non-availability of medical facilities and lack of a university teaching hospital.

The beneficiaries of Osun State Government sponsorship were the medical students from 300 to 500 levels of the university.

The decision to sponsor the students was taken by the state government as part of efforts to allow the affected students to complete their medical studies and actualize their dreams of becoming medical practitioners and give back to the society.

Numbering 50 out of the 85 sponsored, these returnees graduated after qualifying final exams, having passed the prescribed 2017 KROK 2 Ukraine National Medical Examinations in June this year.

It will also be recalled that one of the sponsored medical students, Miss Oyeleye Lateefat Abiola, emerged the overall best student not only in the university but also in the entire Ukraine with an outstanding score of 95.6 per cent in the KROK 2 examinations.

Miss Abiola was announced the best overall student by the Ukraine’s University authority during the university’s graduation ceremony last month.

The state facilitated the programme in fulfilment of the Aregbesola’s administration of providing quality and functional education to youth of the state at all levels.

Receiving the students at the Muritala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja Lagos, the Commissioner for Innovation, Science and Technology, Engr Remi Omowaiye, said the completion of the medical programme by the students is a testimony to the promise made and kept by Aregbesola’s administration. It was a dream actualised for the sponsored students.

Omowaiye said despite the fact that the state was blackmailed and abused by some people over the initiative, the state government and the good people of Osun are happy that Governor Aregbesola meant well for the citizenry.

According to him, “I am ‎very happy because we started this programme in 2012 and some people didn’t want it to work. We had a lot of challenges but thank God we have made history.

“Our efforts to overcome the challenges posed by the initiative and our tenacity to succeed show that Aregbesola is a Governor of the people whose passion for humanity cannot be quantified.

“Most of the promises made are now promises kept. Despite the fact that the state sponsored these students up to their graduation, the Governor also mandated us to get them registered with Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN) for their professional licensing.

“We thank God today that a difficult task has become a success story because in spite of the challenges, blackmails and abuses, ‎we record success on this initiative.

“Governor Aregbesola has done wonderfully well to ensure that these students attain greatness in life. Even at a time of economic hardship, he insisted that in as much as blood runs in his veins, he will ensure the completion of their programmes.

“Here today, the dream has come to reality and we are all happy that the state succeeded and recorded another giant stride.”

In their remarks, some of the beneficiaries commended the state government and Governor Aregbesola in particular for helping them to actualise their dreams.

The overall Ukraine best students, Dr. Oyeleye Lateefat Abiola, said she gives all thanks to Aregbesola’s administration for making her sun to shine and stars to bloom in life.

She said her star would have been killed if not being assisted by the Osun State Government to complete her medical studies.

Abiola, who specialised in Cardiology, expressed readiness to use her wealth of experience and professionalism to serve humanity, saying the circumstances that led to her academic attainment would be justified if she impacts positively on humanity.

“I am the happiest person on earth because I never thought I could attain this feat, but today, I give glory to Almighty God for making my dream a reality.

“I am one of the beneficiaries of Governor Aregbesola’s scholarship. I am one of the 85 medical students sponsored by the Osun State Government led by Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola.

“We have gone to Ukraine. We have seen, we have been exposed to many things and we have learned. We thank God that today, we are medical doctors through the support of Osun Government.

“I am extremely happy to be a medical doctor and to be called a doctor. It is a dream come true for me and my family. It is a thing of joy to be sponsored to one of the best universities in the world and to have this academic qualification.

“Osun Government has made history through this because we were not only sponsored but made history in Ukraine as students of the Osun State University, Nigerians and Africans.

“Governor Aregbesola has done excellently well in our lives to attain this giant feat in academics because if not for him, we might not be celebrated like this today.

“He has shown to us through this scholarship his extra-ordinary passion and commitment to quality education as this is being testified to in the lives of those that have benefited from his education programmes.

“We have testimonies to give today that we were not only sponsored to Ukraine but given one of the best care one could have to attain success in academic in life.

 “So, I am personally grateful to our Governor for not allowing our ambition to die prematurely because today, we are symbols of history”.

Also, Dr. Oluwasayo Motunrayo said, “I will forever hold Governor Rauf Aregbesola in high esteem and be grateful for making our dreams come to pass. He has done well to ensure that we did not fail in meting up with our medical career in life.

“I am from Ekiti State‎, I am happy to be back to Nigeria. Ukraine is a very nice place to be. They have good and standard academic facilities, social amenities among others. The people there related with us as their own sons and daughters. Ukraine is a wonderful place to be.

“Aregbesola has done a great thing for us for making us to achieve our collective dreams; for not allowing our dreams to die half way. ‎We shall forever be grateful to him and his family for this great thing he has done in our lives.”‎It is obvious that if he had not come to our rescue at that time, this record would not be made and for that feat, we owe him gratitude.

“Today, I am happy because we have cause to give back to the society, Osun state, Nigeria and the entire black race as we are ready to impact and impart into the people the knowledge we have acquired to make humanity great.

Similarly, Dr. Ezekoye Maria, commended the administration of Governor Rauf Aregbesola for rescuing them from imminent academic collapse.

Maria, who is an indigene of Anambra State, lauded Governor Aregbesola who she said God used to turn around their fortunes for better.

“There is nothing to say other than appreciating the government of the State of Osun and Governor Aregbesola in particular for making us proud medical doctors today. It is a great accomplishment and great achievement for us today”, she acknowledged. 

In his goodwill message, the Chairman Parents’ Forum, Dr. Ademola Ayodele‎, appealed to Nigerian Governors to emulate Governor Aregbesola whom he described as ‘architect of good governance’.

“When the whole thing started it was like a dream because the Governor told us that he saw all these children as his own and he could not allow them to be stranded.

He told us that whatever it was going to cost, he would not allow them waste all the years they have spent at Osun State University.

“Even when the economy was tough, the Governor was committed to ensuring that these students were successful.

“He ensured that the welfare of the students were properly taken care of just as the state shouldered the payment of the tuition fees.

“That is why I am standing here today to thank everybody, who contributed to this success.‎ I am happy not only that the students succeeded but they made a mark that Nigerian students are great. They were able to show that our students can stand their own anywhere in the world.

“These are students that would have been stranded if not rescued by the Aregbesola led government.

“So, for this, it is time for us to review our policies at federal level in such a way that government would be more responsible and responsive to people’s needs.

“In spite of the seemingly bad situation, I thank God that someone rose up to rescue these children. They are not all of Osun origin. Some hail from the Northern and Eastern parts of Nigeria, while one is a Cameroonian.

“It shows that Governor Aregbesola is a detribalised Nigerian,” Dr Ayodele affirmed.

The students are: Adegunle Rebecca Temitope; Adebusuyi Annetta Gbolayinde‎, Adekanmbi Bakare Oladipupo, Adekunle Aisha Titilope, Adeleke AbdulSamah, Adetunbi Ebunola Mabel, Adewale Adedoyin, Adebimpe Adeyemo Khafilat Kehinde, Afolabi Omotolani Basirat, Ajayi Titilayo ‎Temitope, ‎Akala Oluwatosin Shakirah, Awotunde Akinwumi Gabriel, Ayodele Peace Adetoke, Eminowa Tomisin Ruth, Ezeokoye Maria Chizoba.

Others include: ‎Garuba Khaduah Abiola, Igbinlade Adedamola Segun, ‎Obayelu Oluwatobi Cynthia, Odejayi Segun Idris, Odewale Bosede Omolara, Ogidi Omareyemi Veronica, Ogunbiyi Praise Ajitoronini, ‎Oguntoye Olufemi Kolawole, Ojo blessing Isaac, Ojo Kafayat Adesewa, Olaoye Sarah Opeyemi , Olubalogun Vivian Ifeoluwa‎, Oluwasayo Motunrayo, Oyelami Omotola Olubunmi, Oyeleye Lateefat Abiola, Shenge Yetunde Olamide, Tijani Aliu Adekilekun