Emeritus Professor

AN ADDRESS BY THE VICE-CHANCELLOR, PROFESSOR NIMI BRIGGS TO THE GRADUATING MEDICAL STUDENTS CLASS OF 2005, JANUARY 31ST, 2005

Like your parent university, your set is unique in many ways, not least by the fact that your stay in the university and its medical school have coincided with a period when many positive changes have taken place. A ten-year strategy plan of the institution detailing out areas of development have been put in place, and part of this directs the formation of a School of Dentistry, a Faculty of Pharmacy and a Department of Nursing. Actions have commenced on this and two well experienced academics have been appointed to initiate the School of Dentistry and the Faculty of Pharmacy.

When these schools eventually turn out their products, there will be men and women, again alumni like you of this unique university who will join hands with you in the fight against disease and ill-health. Student’s admissions have been thoroughly streamlined and this has meant that the university is ridding itself of those bad eggs amongst us who have no business in an environment such as this as they commit all manner of crimes and bring disrespect to the name of our university. The staff have also not been spared as they have been made to commit themselves more seriously to their responsibilities to the university especially its students. Structurally, the university has been transformed to a large extent and most of those thorny issues that ignited discontent, occasionally violence, like electricity and water supply have received serious attention. As for sporting facilities, the university has established those that have been accepted by all as being of world standard. Our Olympic size swimming pool is the seventh in the world!

It is therefore not surprising to note that all the programmes of this university, including those run by the College of Health Sciences, are accredited by the National Universities Commission, either in an interim basis or fully. Again the current ranking of universities by the NUC places University of Port Harcourt as No.1 amongst all Nigerian Universities in the “quality of the academic content of first degree programmes”, while in sports the University’s supremacy has been unquestionably established. It came 2nd in the overall Medal list at NUGA 2000, 2nd at NUGA 2002, 1st at West African Universities Games 2003, and 1st at NUGA 2004. These indeed are impressive strides.

These achievements of your university place an onerous responsibility on your shoulders. People will now look at you differently and I dare say, with more seriousness, not just in your medical practice to show professional knowledge that is interactions. You will be expected to show professional knowledge that is compatible with that of a doctor that was trained in one of the best medical schools in Nigeria.

You will be expected to show the zeal and desire for continuing education and enlightenment which should form a product of the University of Port Harcourt. Above all, the society will expect of your positive contributions from a responsible citizen who has attended what is fast becoming the best university in Nigeria.

As the Vice-Chancellor who luckily saw all these happen, it is with great joy that I send you out to the larger world as worthy ambassadors of this university. Finally, I pray you not to forget us too quickly. I implore you to keep track of what is happening in the university and to register your concern whenever appropriate; no one can love the institution more than you, its products. The university alumni association is there and you must be very active members of the association.

What is left then is for me to wish you well on behalf of all those of us you are leaving behind in the university and to pray that the Almighty God be your guide as you formulate your career.

AN ADDRESS BY THE VICE-CHANCELLOR, PROFESSOR NIMI BRIGGS TO THE GRADUATING MEDICAL STUDENTS CLASS OF 2005, JANUARY 31ST, 2005