Biomedical Department Rewards Deserving Staff and Graduands
…Dr Obinna Ofozoba
In keeping with the mantra of the present administration, “Driving the Culture of Excellence”, the Department of Biomedical Technology, Federal University of Technology, Owerri, on Friday, April 5, 2019, presented the award of honour and excellence to deserving staff and students for 2017/2018 academic session as part of the activities marking the 31st convocation ceremony of the University.
Speaking during the award ceremony, the Head of Department, Dr Samuel C. Iwuji said the department intends to drive the culture of excellence through rewarding excellence, hence the Excellence Award to staff and students. He also said that part of how to bring the Department to world-class standard is to ensure online visibility of the undergraduate and postgraduate programmes, including staff publications.
He expressed unalloyed gratitude to the Vice-Chancellor for the transformation in the Department, thus creating a platform for it to become a world-class Department in Africa through the provision and supply of state-of-the-art biomedical laboratory/workshop equipment and furniture, office equipment, library furniture and e-library facilities.
Other transformation modalities that have been embarked on by the Vice Chancellor include employment of the best graduates of the Department for future development, offer of scholarships to young lecturers, engagement of foreign/advanced trained biomedical engineers, scientists and technologists in the Department as well as remarkable improvement in the temporary accommodation spaces for staff and students of the Department amongst others.
Dr Iwuji said the aforementioned achievements of the Vice-Chancellor have in no small measure yielded positive result as the Department for the first time since 2003 emerged with full accreditation status from the National Universities Commission. He said for the first time also, the Department produced three first-class degree graduates amongst numerous second class degree holders without any third class or pass. Moreover, he informed the Department of his election as the National President of the Society for Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine of Nigeria.
The Head of Department equally commended the exceptional compliance of the staff and students who in one way or the other assisted in driving the culture of excellence in the Department which gave rise to the various categories of awards to eleven outstanding staff and students.
In a vote of thanks, the Associate Dean School of Health Technology, Prof. P.U. Agbasi thanked the Vice-Chancellor for his timely intervention in the Department of Biomedical Technology which yielded visible results. He also commended the Head of Department, staff and students for their untiring efforts and urged them to keep the flag of the Department, the School and the University flying.