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 the country on Saturday evening after four and a half years of overseas’ training.
The state government in a statement by Governor Rauf Aregbesola’s spokesperson, Mr. Sola Fasure in Osogbo, said the medical students graduated last month from the V.Kharkiv National University, Kharkiv in Ukraine.
Aregbesola said in the statement: “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 N152million to support the medical education of 85 students of the UNIOSUN 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 of the 85 sponsored, these returnees graduated, having passed the prescribed 2017 KROK 2 Ukraine National Medical Examinations in June this year.
“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, Hon. Remi Omowaye, 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.”
“Omowale 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.”
Fasure referred to some of the beneficiaries to have 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.
