UMTH: When Tochukwu Ikene Shows Appreciation for Good Medical-Care Services

By: Balami Lazarus

In the last 40 years in the life of the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital (UMTH) in Borno State, there has never been a time on record when a patient came back to appreciate and say thank you to the management and staff of the hospital for their good medical care and effort in health-care delivery services to patients, until recently when we have a few coming back to show appreciation. This one, coming from a corp member, moved the CMD to emotion. It also reminded us of the biblical story of the ten lepers who were healed, and one returns to say thank you.

It was a rear gesture from a Corper. Miss. Tochukwu Ikene Ubaneche, who was treated for an undisclosed ailment recently. The Corper, Ubaneche, with registration number BO/23C/1832, 2023/2024, was not the only corp member who received medical attention at the UMTH at the time, but she remembered to make a difference when she came to show gratitude to the management, clinical and non-clinical staff of the hospital “for their kindness and good medical care.”.

According to her, the hospital under the leadership of the CMD, Prof. Ahmed Ahidjo, was different from the history she heard of the UMTH. “Your leadership is unique. I was given good medical treatment and homely attention by your doctors and nurses. I see UMTH as the best medical facility in Nigeria.” She said.

In his response, the CMD, Prof. Ahidjo, said that he has never witnessed such a thing in his medical career. “This is the first time I have witnessed such a gesture from a patient.” Prof. Ahidjo further emphasized that “Ms. Tochukwu had taken time to come back and say thank you to staff and appreciate them for showing her care and love. She has taken ownership of the hospital by her kind gesture by bringing items worth N183,500 that were presented to the hospital.”

The items brought to support medical services by the corps member include a weight scale, 24 white bedsheets, 15 plastic buckets, and 100 plastic gifts for the staff. For the hospital, that was a huge surprise from a corp member, and this, according to staff, is touching and will make them do more to show more care for their patients.

Coincidentally, Corper Touchukwu was in the hospital at the time the re-accreditation team of the Radiology Department of the hospital was being conducted round. The accreditation panel of the West African College of Surgeons Faculty of Radiology were also impressed by the testimony of patients, such as the young corps member. This also impresses the team with its assessment of staff and grants a pass mark for their work.

UMTH: When Tochukwu Ikene Shows Appreciation for Good Medical-Care Services

Nysc: 12 Corp members to repeat service in Bauchi state

By Bodunrin Kayode

12 corps members who violated the codes of the National Youth Service Corp (NYSC) attached to their service years have been asked to repeat the entire exercise in Bauchi state.

Although the names of those declared as culpable were withheld by management, the erring members some of whom abandoned their primary duty posts are to serve a full year with only half allowance this time as punishment.

The Coordinator of the NYSC in the state Rifkatu Yakubu disclosed this while addressing the 2023 Batch A stream 1 corps members before the distribution of the Certificate of National Service to deserving corps members recently.

Daniel admonished them to avoid travelling at night and if need be, to break their journey whenever it was dark and lodge in designated safe places to continue the following day.

She also enjoined the corps members to desist from anti social vices noting that such acts can put their family and loved ones in shame at the end of the day.

The nysc scheme is a compulsory program for all graduates of Nigerian tertiary institutions under 30, years aimed at uniting them withy the ideals of the nation.

Nysc: 12 Corp members to repeat service in Bauchi state

Corps Members Urged To Sustain Courage Of Serving In Borno

By: Melvin Ibe

The corps members serving their mandatory one-year national youth service in Borno have been urged to sustain their courage in carrying out their service in the state.

It could be recalled that for over 13 years following the decade-long Boko Haram insurgency in Borno, the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) Orientation Camp was shut down, but with the emerging peace in the state, the Orientation Camp was recently reopened.

Speaking during their visit to the NYSC temporary orientation camp in Maiduguri, the Coordinator of Internal Diaspora Borno State Chapter, Chief Emmanuel Ugochukwu Egwudike (Go-Easy) , who led the leadership of the various non-indigenous tribes in the state to the camp, said their visit is part of their continuous effort and support to the state government, most importantly towards restoration of peace, hope, dignity, stability, and to boost the confidence of the newly arrived corps members.

Chief Egwudike assured the corps members that his members will do everything to give them maximum support and ensure that the service to their fatherland in the state ends remarkably well.

The Coordinator informed the corps members that the state government, under the leadership of Professor Babagana Umara Zulum, holds non-indigenes in the state in high esteem; hence, every December 25th, the Governor provides free transport to everyone who wishes to travel home to celebrate Christmas and the new year with loved ones.

We are here to welcome you as our brothers and sisters. Most of us have spent over 30 years in the state, and the majority of our successes and breakthroughs in life came from here. Our assurance to you is that you will never regret your decision to serve here.

The Governor has already given you a warm reception with gifts, and he has demonstrated that he is a detribalized Nigerian by assuring you of engagement in the services of the state. We are assuring you that many good things will come your way in the course of your stay in the state,” Egwudike said.

Further encouraging the corps members, the General Secretary of Internal Diasporans, Mr. Olusegun Asiwaju Alabi, who is from Oyo State, urged the corps members to see their postings to the state as a divine call destined by God.

He assured that the leadership of the association will, from time to time, visit the corps members to ensure their wellbeing and good condition of service.

The President of the Imo State Welfare Association, Chief Francis Meke, assured the corps members that none of them would regret their service in the state, noting that Borno, which is known as the home of peace, has raised many prominent Nigerians from other parts of the country.

In a similar vein, Chief Abraham Kanti, the President General of the TIV community in Borno State and an entrepreneur, urged the corps members to key into entrepreneurship, where opportunity abounds in the state, while Chief John Azimeye, the President General of the Niger-Delta community in the state, urged the corps members to take fear out of their minds and embrace the service.

Responding, Obani Prince Azubuike, the Ezendigbo of the Orientation Camp and a graduate of transport management technology at the Federal University of Technology Owerri (FUTO), said before coming to the state, he heard different negative stories, but on arrival at the camp, the reverse was the case.

He commended the state governor, Babagana Umara Zulum, for his benevolence to the corps members and the warm reception he gave them, and he promised to finish his service in the state.

Corps Members Urged To Sustain Courage Of Serving In Borno