The House of Representatives at the plenary Wednesday passed through third reading a bill for an Act to establish Federal University of Medical and Health Sciences, in Item Bende, Abia State.

The proposed legislation titled, “Bill for an Act to Establish Federal University of Medical and Health Sciences, Item Bende to make Comprehensive Provisions for its Due Management and Administration and for related matters, was sponsored by the Deputy Speaker Rt. Hon. Benjamin Okezie Kalu, Hon. Wole Oke and five other lawmakers.

The passage followed the consideration and adoption of recommendations presented by the House Committee on University Education.

The House approved clauses 1-29 schedules, memorandum and long title of the bill.

According to the committee’s report, the bill, once enacted, will establish a university charged with the responsibility to, among other things, offer full-time training leading to the award of degrees in medical and health sciences.

“The University shall be a body corporate with perpetual succession and a common seal and may sue and be sued in its corporate name. The general objects/purposes of the University shall be to – encourage the advancement of learning and to hold out to all persons without distinction of race, creed, sex or political conviction, the opportunity of acquiring a higher education in Medicine and other Health Sciences; develop and offer academic and professional programs leading to the award of diplomas, first degrees, postgraduate research and higher degrees with emphasis on planning, adaptive, technical, maintenance, developmental and productive skills in the field of Medicine, biomedical engineering, scientific, and allied professional disciplines relating to health resources with the aim of producing socially mature persons with capacity not only to understand, use and adapt existing technologies in the health industry, but also to improve on those disciplines and develop new ones, and to contribute to the scientific transformation of medical and other health practices in Nigeria; act as agents and catalysts, through postgraduate training, research and innovation for the effective and economic utilization, exploitation and conservation of Nigeria’s natural, economic and human resources.

“Offer to the general population, as a form of public service, the results of training and research in medicine and allied disciplines and to foster the practical application of those results; establish appropriate relationships with other national institutions involved in training, research and development of health care; identify the health problems and needs of Nigeria and to find solutions to them within the context of overall national development; provide and promote sound basic scientific training as a foundation for the development of medicine and allied disciplines, taking into account indigenous culture, the need to enhance national unity, the need to vastly increase the practical content of student training, and adequate preparation of graduates for self-employment in medicine and allied professions; promote and emphasize teaching, research and extension of health knowledge, including health extension services and outreach programs, in-service training, continuing education, and adaptive research; offer academic programs in relation to the training of manpower for medicine and allied profession in Nigeria.”

The House leader, Hon. Prof. Julius Ihonvbere moved that the House adopt the report rendered by the Speaker on behalf of the committee of the whole, adopt them as a working instrument of the House, and it was seconded by the minority leader, Hon. Kingsley Chinda.

Signed:

Udora Orizu, SA Press Affairs to the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Federal Republic of Nigeria