The Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria, (PSN), Kogi State Chapter, has commended the Vice Chancellor, Federal University Lokoja, Prof. Olayemi Akinwunmi for his outstanding leadership and achievements in the institution.
The Kogi State Chairman of PSN, Dr. Lawal Muhammed Omuya, gave the commendation when the association paid a thank you visit to the management of FUL in Lokoja.
Dr Omuya, who acknowledged the transformation of FUL under Prof. Akinwumi, noted that the establishment of College of Health Sciences and the Faculty of Engineering by the university management was a step in the right direction
Continuing, Omuya said, “You did say in your inaugural speech as VC FUL that you will make sure the institution takes a lead amongst the nine (9) universities established by the Federal Government in 2011 and to make FUL among the ten (10) foremost universities in Africa.
“I was not mincing words in our last visit dated June 7th 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 rephrase 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.”
“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 Doctor of Pharmacy programme. Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D) is the minimum qualification to practice as a pharmacist in advanced countries like United State of America (USA). This is a major achievement, sir.”
“For this reason and more, we are here again to say a big THANK YOU as you have made good 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 programme in FUL will commence before the next edition of Pharmacy Week. This is fast coming to past”
He described the university’s Vice Chancellor as a man of honour and symbol of contemporary development, adding that, under his leadership, the Professor of History has demonstrated competence and capacity in all his dealings.
The PSN Chairman reassured the university management that manpower will not be
a problem when the institution kick-starts pharmacy programme in their next academic session.
“Manpower will not be a problem as we have more than enough pure bred pharmacy professionals, eminently qualified to complement your good efforts as lecturers, even in our midst as we speak, ” he added.”
Responding, the Vice Chancellor, Federal University Lokoja, Prof Olayemi Durotimi Akinwunmi sought the collaboration of PSN in providing the resource materials in terms of textbooks to equip the library, reach out to well meaning Nigerians to help the institution in terms of funding as Federal Government funding may not be sufficient.
Other demands of the university are provision of support to the institution in terms of manpower, especially academics.
Akinwumi said, “On behalf of the management, staff and students of this promising institution, I am reassuring the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria that admission into the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences will kick-start next year, 2024. The faculty will be standing on its own and will be situated at the permanent site by God’s grace”
