Speeches

Presentation Of Award Of Excellence By The Graduating Class 2008 Of The Lagos State College Of Medicine (LASUCOM)

Oct 3, 2008 - It is my pleasure to be at this presentation of award of excellence ceremony organized by the 2008 graduating class of the Lagos State College of Medicine (LASUCOM), as part of its graduating year activities. It is indeed heartwarming and re-assuring that this brilliant class of graduands has scored a first in the history of this great college by embarking on some humanitarian projects such as community development programmes, the launching of a year book and donations to the college of medicine and the hospital. I am impressed by this effort and do sincerely hope that this humanitarian legacy, particularly in the area of community development would be carried on by your successors. By embarking on a public screening and sensitization programme on silent killers such as hypertension, you have demonstrated beyond doubt that the education you all received at LASUCOM is qualitative and your professional integrity unquestionable. This is commendable, and you should keep it up.

When the Lagos State College of Medicine (LASUCOM) was established nine years ago, the vision and goal of the Lagos State government under the able leadership of my immediate predecessor, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu was to put in place a Medical College with high academic standard, that would among others, produce reputable medical doctors who will make the desired impact on the quality of healthcare service delivery, first in the State and then in the nation.

I am proud to say that since April 3rd 2006, when the first set of twenty-six(26) pioneering doctors were turned out, the College has continued to wax from strength to strength; expanding in its scope and delivering on its mandate. The full accreditation granted the College by the National Universities Commission, the NUC, a year later in November, 2007 is a further proof of our commitment towards building a world class college of medicine and enhancing the quality of medical practice in the State.

One of the major policy thrusts and cardinal objectives of this administration, which was carried-on from my immediate predecessor, has been to provide qualitative healthcare service delivery to the citizenry. We not only believe in the popular dictum that “health is wealth”, but we also facilitate a healthy environment, and ensure adequate provision of basic health care services to all Lagosians. In about a year and half of this administration, we have left no one in doubt of our continued focus and commitment to this critical sector. Apart from providing essential drugs, medical equipment and facilities to enhance health care service delivery in all our general hospitals and health care centres across the State, we have also continued to render various healthcare services and medical surgeries to assist the less privileged through our medical missions at no cost to the beneficiaries. The recently concluded knee replacement surgery exercise, which according to medical experts was the first of its kind in this part of the world is part of our landmark achievements in this regard.

As graduating medical students, I have no doubt whatsoever that you have benefited tremendously from these numerous medical experiences and from the wealth of experiences of your lecturers and medical experts, to which you have been exposed while in the college. We remained committed to the vision and ideal of the founding fathers of this great college, and will leave no stone unturned at surpassing and sustaining the high academic standard for which this college is known. To all class 2008, graduating students, I want to congratulate you, your parents and guardians on this remarkable achievement. As you go into full medical practice, I urge you to be good ambassadors of this College, not only by putting all you have learnt while in the college into you private and public practice, but by adhering strictly to ethics of the medical profession in all your professional undertakings.

Finally, I wish to express my sincere appreciation to the executive and entire membership of the graduating Class 2008 of the Lagos State College of Medicine (LASUCOM) for deeming it fit to give me this award of excellence. I dedicate this award to men and women, who contributed to the growth of LASUCOM and those that we have laboured together to move the State forward. I am indeed proud of you all, and do hope to hear more of you in the years to come.

Thank you all and God bless.

Eko O Ni Baje O!

Babatunde Raji Fashola (SAN)
Governor of Lagos State