The proposed amendment of the public hearing of the Rivers State college of health science and management technology bill 2018, have been held at the State Assembly’s auditorium.
The public hearing amendment bill, which was privately sponsored by Hon. Michael Chinda, the house member representing Obio Akpor constituency 2, had 22 memorandum submitted to the house, of which 21 was for and only one was against, which was submitted by Dr. Prince Chike, the honourable commissioner of health in the state, his memorandum proposed that the state college of health science and management technology should be overseen by the state ministry of health.
Meanwhile, the state attorney general who was ably represented by Elizabeth Ogan Esq, who also submitted a memorandum for the proposed bill said, the bill proposes the repeal and the reenactment of the Rivers State College of Health Science and Management Technology law in 2001, to reflect the modification of the name and the total notary of the provision in line with current trend and best practices in the education sector.
She stated, ” our comments on the bill reflects thus, change of name from Rivers State college of health science and technology to Rivers State College of Health Science and Management Technology. Expansion of the objectives of the college, exclusion of the school of nursing as part of the college, exclusion of obsolete and inconsistent provision in line with the requirements of the National Board for Education ( NBTE), academic and administration organization, rearrangement and renumbering, correction of typographical errors and the inclusion of the 65 years retirement age for academic staffs of the institution, approved by the governor, in accordance with the provision of the retirement age of staffs of polytechnics and colleges of education act 2012″.
Continuing, she said, ” the passage of the bill into law, will enable the college have access to Trust Funds, funds from international and local donors, scholarships, capacity building programs for the staffs of the college and much more. It will also bring the college in conformity, with the current trends and best practices in the education sector “.
Also, two past provost of the college, Dr. Onyekwere and Dr. Goodluck Azunwo, who both also submitted a memorandum to the house in favour of the proposed bill, said if the bill is passed into law, it will open doors of greater opportunity to the school, the students, the host community, the state and the country.
On his part, the current Provost of the school Dr. Franklin Nlerum, who also submitted a memorandum in favor of the bill stated that,” the proposed bill be passed into law, reasons being that proposed law, is expected to improve on the college,the present people, the future people, the host community, people of Rivers State and the country at large”.
Continuing, he said ” what we intend to gain, is that the school will improve in it’s responsibility to the staff. Currently, the staff are being retired prematurely. But with this bill, they are going to retire at the right age which is 65 years of age. Thereby, enabling them to contribute more to the development of the college, as expected of people in the tertiary institutions “.
Also, Comrade Promise Igoma, the ASUP Chairman of the college, said if the proposed bill is passed into law, that graduands of the college will be awarded National Diploma and Higher National Diploma and not certificates.
He added that, the college is an academic tertiary institution. If the bill be passed into law, graduands of the college will have a direct entry into programs in the universities, of which, with the certificate programs, it is difficult to get direct entry into programs in the universities.
Continuing, he said because the college is domiciled in the state ministry of health, graduands of the college don’t do to youth corps services.
Mr. Igoma added, as a college, the programs are being regulated and supervised by professional health bodies in the country and so it should not be domiciled to be regulated by the state ministry of health, but state ministry of education, to enable the college access to external assistance and to also enable the students do their NYSC and many more.
Meanwhile, comrade Emmanuel Nwala, the college SSANIP chairman, who also submitted a memorandum to the house, said, that the office of the college provost should only be open to lecturers of the institution, who have doctorate degree. He said, because in the college there are persons in the development called “foundation”, though some of them do not have health background, but they have served the institution for over 20 years.
Secondly, he is soliciting that, the non academic staffs be given same 65 years age of retirement, as it has also been given to the non academic staffs of the Captain Elechi Amadi Polytechnics.
Also, the president of the college student union government (SUG), comrade Gote Reuben, who applauded the move for the proposed bill to also passed into law, said, the bill if passed into law will leverage the life’s of Rivers State youths. He reminded the house, that the college was the first college of health science established in Nigeria, but had continued to remain stagnant for decades. Hence, there is an urgent need for the passage of the bill into law. He in turn pointed out that if the bill is passed into law, that graduands of the college can serve the country in NYSC, which has never been done before, thereby relegating them to the background in the education system of the country.
Also, representatives of the host community of the college, Oro Owo, who also submitted a memorandum in favor of the passage of the proposed bill said, the house should include a member of the host community, in the governing boarded and that the name of the host community Oro Owo be captured in the name of the college.
Hon. Michael Okechukwu Chinda expressed complete satisfaction over the public hearing of the bill. And said that the college is not a one man business and should not be treated as such, but a tertiary institution and should be regulated by both the federal and state ministry of education.
Also, Hon. Fara Dagogo, member representing degema constituency, and also the house chairman on education, said that the proposed bill is purely academia and that sentiment and politics should not out play in passing the proposed bill into law. He added, if the bill is passed into law, it will enhance students and the entire state. He promised that the concerned house members will thoroughly look into the bill, meet various concerned organizations, also with the ministry of justice and see how the bill can move forward.
Hon. Adonye Diri, house member representing Opobo/ Nkoro constituency, said the house will study the memorandums submitted to the house and reach a favourable conclusion.
Also, Hon. Martins Amaewhule, majority leader of the house, and also, member representing Obio/Akpor constituency 1, who also represented the capacity of the state assembly speaker, Hon. Ikunyi Awaji, espresso his satisfaction over the great turn up of the entire staffs of the college and their students, as he mentioned that the turn up is the maximum the house has witnessed. He said “indeed, this is what I call participatory democracy”.
He promised the college a favourable decision of all the house members overseeing the passage of the proposed bill, and promise that their final decision will be in favor of everyone, as they will leave no stone unturned.
