The University of Ibadan’s Faculty of Veterinary Medicine has inducted no fewer than 90 new veterinary medical doctors, marking a significant milestone in its 60-year history of producing highly skilled professionals who contribute to advancing veterinary medicine.
The event with the theme, “60 Years of Veterinary Education, the Goals, the Gains, and the Gaps,” was held in conjunction with the Veterinary Council of Nigeria.
Eleven graduates finished with distinctions, and the oath-taking segment was administered by the Acting Registrar of VCN, Dr Oladotun Fadipe.
The Induction lecturer, Dr. Adebanji Adeniyi emphasised the importance of upholding professionalism and moral behavior in Veterinary Medical practice.
The Dean of the Faculty, Prof. Olufunke Ola-Davies, urged the inductees to uphold the values of their profession by serving as exemplary ambassadors.
Speaking in an exclusive interview with our correspondent, Ola-Davies said she was able to secure full accreditation for the faculty shortly after she took over as the dean.
“The faculty was operating under interim accreditation when I took over office. I obtained full accreditation from the National University Commission in a matter of months after I assumed leadership”, she said.
Ola-Davies thanked the university management which provided her with a strong platform to lead after being elected as dean.
On staff promotion, the dean maintained that since she assumed office as the dean, five Readers, six Senior Lecturers, and fifteen Professors were promoted in the faculty.
According to her, twenty-three new lecturers were employed, stating that the students were not left out as 12 received scholarships with full tuition and monthly stipends of N30,000 within this tenure from an alumnus of the faculty.
Ola-Davies added, “The faculty has taken a new look in relation to infrastructural development including facilitating the completion of the Virology and Parasitology Laboratory, renovation and painting of the faculty administrative building (White House), donation of an R&D building, the renovation of the faculty boardroom; the renovation of the faculty auditorium, Dean’s conference room as well as the clinical and preclinical classrooms.
“Also on the list are the digital room with computers and a 5.4kva inverter, 10 Acer projectors distributed into the 10 departments, and the construction of a walkway leading to the auditorium.
“The faculty now possesses new equipment, inclusive of six binocular microscopes, a compound microscope, two ultrasound machines, a semi-automated microtome, a spectrophotometer, blood pressure monitor, two otoscopes, a large animal weighing scale and a digital X-ray machine in addition to a 45 kVA Mikano generator to assist in power generation in the faculty auditorium.”
A first graduate of the faculty in the 1967 set, Prof. Basil Ikede congratulated the faculty on its achievement and encouraged the inductees to be confident in administering their profession.
The occasion was graced by dignitaries, including the Managing Director, Adamore Nig. LTD, Dr Musa Alasa Yusuf, who was the Chairman of the occasion, and the Former Governor of Oyo State, Sen. Rashidi Ladoja, who was represented by Dr Suraju Ajiboye.
The five-day celebration included free anti-rabies vaccination for dogs, free health checks, a Vet fair gallery, a funfair walk show, a dog show, a career talk for secondary school students, and a visit to an orphanage.
The pre-induction dinner and alumni homecoming featured a performance by Chief Prof Ebenezer Obey and awards for deserving individuals and students.
Source: The Punch
