…Says state is monitoring war situation
By Myke Uzendu, Sokoto
As part of his efforts to build human capital in his state, Sokoto State governor Hon. Aminu Tambuwal has disclosed that over 300 students from the state are enjoying different levels of scholarship in various parts of the world in medical courses including Ukraine, India, Sudan and others.
The governor further stated that the state is monitoring the situation in Ukraine to ensure the safety of it’s students studying in Ukraine which is under attack by Russia.
The Sokoto State Commissioner for Higher Education, Prof. Bashir Garba made the disclosure at the Muritala Mohammed College of Medicine, Sokoto during a press interaction with journalists monitoring legacy projects executed by the state governor, Hon. Tambuwal in the State.
The former Secretary to the state government said that the state government is investing heavily on medical and science education adding that it has encouraged its citizens through several scholarship programme.
According to Prof. Garba, about 100 students of Sokoto origin, on the scholarship of the state government are studying Medicine in Ukraine, noting that since the outbreak of the crisis which saw Russian President, Vladimir Putin ordering military invasion of Ukraine, the state government swung into action by working in sync with the federal government to ensure the safety of the students.
He said: “We are monitoring the crisis and the federal government also is looking at the situation and when they need to evacuate Nigerians, they will do so. Evacuation is federal government’s responsibility and I think they are on it.
“So far, we are in touch with them and not a single person, not even one of them has withdrawn from the program. They are doing well.
“In order to enhance the capacity of what is already on ground, the governor decided to send a number of students outside the country to study Medicine and Para-Medical programs. In Ukraine alone, we have about 100 students studying medicine and we have 200 in India studying other medical-related courses and we have others in different countries.”
Garba highlighted Tambuwal’s intervention in championing medical education for Sokoto state indigenous students, saying, “some just entered and some have started graduating, especially those in India. Those that are studying Medicine in Ukraine, I think they are in their second or third year or about completing second year. And we have some that graduated from Uganda, Ghana and other places.
“Just recently, we went to Sudan to witness graduation ceremony of about 46 medical graduates, with degree in medicine. The governor himself went to witness it as a way of encouraging others who have not graduated in those universities,” he added.
