Gbenro Adesina
The toil of five turned six years, as a result of strike actions by both academic and non-academic staff as well as the outbreak of Covid-19 Pandemic, on Tuesday February 8, 2022, ended in joy for the 29 inductees of the Department of Physiotherapy, College of Medicine, University of Ibadan (UI), as they were inducted into the profession.
In a colourful ceremony attended by principal officers of the nation’s Premier University, Registrar of the Medical Rehabilitation Therapists Board (Reg) of Nigeria (MRTB), Dr Olufunke T. Akanle, President, Ibadan College of Medicine Alumni Association (ICOMAA) worldwide, Professor Dipo Otolorin, Professional Elder, Dr F. A. Alegbeleye, members of faculty, parents and loved ones, the 2020/2021 physiotherapy graduating class took the oath of the Physiotherapy profession and were presented with provisional license.
Out of the graduating students, four made First Class: Adekolurejo Tobi Elisha (overall best graduating student), Akinlolu Ebunoluwa Dorcas, Akinwola Mary Olamide and Okoro Winifred Omono and 19 made Second Class (Upper Division). Among the highlights of the event held at Paul Hendrickse Lecture Theatre was the certificate of merit presented by the MRTB to the three best graduating students in the Board’s Pre-induction Seminar Examination. The trio: Okoro Winifred Omono, Ebiaku Thompson Aigbomode and Olorode Henry Olaoluwa made first, second and third positions respectively. Also, Provost’s Award for Excellent Participation in Community Life went to Adetunji Harrison Toluwanimi (male category) and Akinwola Mary Olamide (female category).
Of utmost importance at the occasion was the recognition given to the parents of the graduating students. All the speakers, including the Master of Ceremony, Dr Olubukola A. Olaleye, showered encomium on the parents for their financial, emotional and parental supports to all the graduands. The graduands were asked to collectively take a bow for their parents, as well as giving them a thunderous round of applause in appreciation of their huge contributions to their success in their academic pursuit.
In her farewell speech, the Provost, UI College of Medicine, Professor Olayinka O. Omigbodun, congratulated the graduands for making it to this phase of their career, saying, “I congratulate and commend your parents for supporting you through this stage and I believe dear parents, that the struggle was worth it after all.” “However, during your training at the University of Ibadan, your teachers stood in loco parentis, and they indeed deserve a rousing applause for delivering on the difficult task of raising you into brilliant physiotherapists today”, she added.
Omigbodun, who was represented by her deputy, Professor Fatai Adeniyi, who equally represented the institution’s Vice Chancellor, Professor Kayode Adebowale, lamented the extreme challenges posed by the Covid-19 pandemic, which adversely affected the learning environment, stressing that the teachers have to adjust accordingly to ensuring that the quality of teaching was sustained. “This rare opportunity to be trained by the finest of brains in the physiotherapy profession, supported by the best learning environment that can only be guaranteed in the first and the best university, the University of Ibadan, made it possible to have these high-quality physiotherapists that we are celebrating today. …I am confident that these about to be inducted physiotherapists will make proud all the progenitors of the physiotherapy profession from inception to date”, she said.
In order to enhance the learning experience for the students, according to Omigbodun, the institution instituted several committees, and is undertaking several programmes to ensure a positive turn around in the school life of the students. “We now have the Students Welfare Committee, the Counselling Committee, the Health Professional Training Levy Committee, the Wellness Committee and the E-Learning Committee, among others. All these committees have one thing in common, to improve the learning environment for our students”, she stated.
According to her, a daunting challenge facing the college is the lack of accommodation space for about 50 percent of the clinical students in the college. She revealed that the College is working assiduously to resolve this nagging problem, pointing out that the college is already working with some stakeholders to construct a new hostel with over 600 rooms. Noting that the College is already receiving support towards the building of this hostel, she solicited for further support from parents for the actualisation of the laudable project
The College also established a special programme called the “Sponsor a Student Programme”, for raising funds for students who are unable to pay their fees or meet their daily upkeep. According to the Provost, since the launch of the initiative, only the medical (MBBS) Alumni have donated substantial funds with specific devotion of the funds to support medical students. She, therefore, appealed to the alumni of other programmes in the College to contribute towards the initiative.
The MRTB Registrar/CEO, Dr Akanle Olufunke commended the College on the success of its recent accreditation exercise, which has earned the department a full accreditation status.
Urging the management of the college on the need to ensure the implementation of the recommendations of the accreditation team, she called on the management to intensify effort on the commencement of the Doctor of Physiotherapy. “The Board is, however, ready and willing to give the necessary assistance to actualize this where necessary”, she promised.
She charged the newly inducted physiotherapists to remain of good conduct, study and understand their professional code of ethics, seek additional knowledge, which is a criterion for future relevance in the profession, and identify with their association as it will afford them the opportunity to meet and learn from wealth of experience of their senior colleagues. “I, therefore, advise that your quest for knowledge on professionalism shouldn’t end with the much you have just finished with, ensure you continue to attend continuing Professional Development Programs to stay in touch with obtainable trends in the profession…. I advise you to join the Board in the fight against quackery and unprofessionalism by getting your license before proceeding for service. Finally, I charge you to remain good ambassadors, inject new productive and innovative ideas into the professional practice so that in the future, your names would have been written in gold”, she concluded.
In his own speech, Head, Department of Physiotherapy, University of Lagos, Professor Olajide Olawale, took the graduands through their academic journey in life, telling them, “You will be able to recall that some of your peers never made it past the elementary school, some never made it beyond secondary school, and some that you started university life with, did not make it to this day. Count yourself lucky. It is the grace of God that has seen you through. The race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, nor bread to the wise, nor riches to the intelligent, nor favour to those with knowledge but time and chance happen to them all”.
He said, “I am a Professor of Physiotherapy and I can appreciate what you have gone through to be able to sit down here today, beaming with smiles and being joyful on this occasion. Your sacrifices, hard work, dedication and resilience have not been in vain. And as someone who obtained a Master’s degree from the University of Ibadan, I know the feeling and joy of having a degree from the first University in Nigeria. I share with you in the joy of this day.”
“But do not forget, today is just the beginning. As I welcome you to this noble profession, I hasten to remind you that more challenges still lie ahead of you. The world is under constant change, and in the health sector, there are many bridges to be crossed. Today, as you are closing a chapter, you are opening another one. I appeal to you, take on new challenges and be the generation of physiotherapists that will make a positive change and leave indelible footprints in the profession”, he added.
He concluded, “In delivering care to patients and clients, show diligence and competence. Continuous Professional Development is very important. Do not neglect it. You need to know more. Make conscious effort to aspire and rise to the apogee of your profession. Your teachers have given so much to you. Apply this knowledge and let the society feel your impact. Be shinning light in your community. Lead a good life, be level-headed and show exemplary character. Your life must be worthy of emulation and you must abide by the tenets of your profession”.
Also speaking at the occasion, the UCH Chief Medical Director (CMD), Professor Jesse Otegbayo, represented by Dr Toyin Lawal, admonished the new physiotherapists to carry their shoulders high as people, who have been well trained and world class professionals. He noted that medical graduates from UI are doing very well all over the world, stressing, “Our products are among the best in the world.”
The valedictorian, who is the best graduating student, Adekolurejo, in a speech eulogized the families of the graduating students, who he said were always there to hold them up and keep them going. He thanked them for the many sacrifices made by them. He also eulogized their lecturers, who he said, “were nothing short of wonderful.”
To his fellow graduating students, he congratulated them for a job well done, for finishing well in spite of all odds. He said, “We all know what it means to be a physiotherapy student. The competing demands of study, assignments deadlines, hectic lecture hours, tension of examinations, anxiety waiting for result, and CGPA, clinical postings, etc, and challenging ASUU Strikes. Then, just when we thought it was remaining one year for us to graduate, the Covid-19 pandemic gave us “pick two”. We all went back home hoping it would end within days, weeks, a month, but it took about eleven months for us to resume school because the break was elongated by ASUU Strike”.
He challenged all the inductees to make a difference in whatever they do and to stand up and do great things.
Others who spoke at the event including the Acting Head of Department, Physiotherapy, Dr Omoyemi Ogwumike, and Acting Secretary to the College, Barrister Akin Agbaje, congratulated the students for the successful completion of their programme as well as eulogizing their parents for being there for their children when needed most.
