Osinbajo lauds West African surgeons for thousands of free surgeries

Given the impressive performance and achievements recorded by Nigerians across diverse fields, at home and abroad, it is evident that many of the country’s problems can be solved by Nigerians themselves without recourse to foreign aid, according to Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, SAN.

Prof. Osinbajo said this on Friday when he received a delegation from the West African College of Surgeons (WACS), in his office. (The College formed by a group of young Nigerian surgeons 60 years ago predated the Economic Community of West African States)

The delegation led by Prof. Ibrahim Yakasai, mni, was at the Aso Rock Presidential Villa to brief the Vice President about the activities of the College including its planned 60th Annual General Meeting and Scientific Conference scheduled for Abuja. Yakasai is the Local Organising Committee chairman.

Speaking after listening to a brief on the achievements of the WACS, the VP said “I am glad to hear the good things that have been done by the college through the years.

“I believe that a lot of our problems, some of the aids that we need, can be provided by ourselves. We have the resources including the human capacity to do it.” He thanked the delegation for the visit, assuring the College of the Federal Government’s continued support.

Earlier in his remarks, the immediate past President of the College, Prof. King-David Yawe highlighted some of the achievements of WACS especially with regards to free medical outreaches to several Nigerian communities.

He said while working with the Presidential Committee on North East (PCNE), the College has conducted 9, 000 surgeries on 49,000 patients in the Northeast with the insurgency in the region, adding that the body was currently conducting free medical outreaches in 14 hospitals across the FCT, some North Central States and Maiduguri.

Prof. Yawe added that as part of the 2020 pre-conference events, the College is currently conducting free surgeries in the FCT, Borno and other States, noting that 700 such surgical operations have so far been conducted in the past one week with a target of reaching 1000 before the commencement of the conference.

He also said that the outreaches which started 14 years ago include eye surgeries, orthopedic, pediatric & plastic surgeries, brain tumor amongst many others complicated health challenges that otherwise cost patients several millions of Naira, and for which many travel out of the country to treat.

Continuing on the activities of the surgeons, Prof. Yawe said the College has accredited training centres in Gombe, Borno and Yobe States.

He commended the Buhari administration’s support to the association in partly funding some of its activities and meeting its responsibilities especially in solving its 20-year-old problem regarding a request for land in the FCT.

Prof. Yawe informed the VP that the land has been allocated to the College for the establishment of a Skills and Simulation Centre to train surgeons in West Africa in hi-tech surgeries.

The leader of the delegation, Prof. Yakasai also informed the VP that the College works in partnership with the ECOWAS and has surgeons from 18 countries with over 7000 fellows across West Africa. The College conducts training, postgraduate education, and research activities

While Yawe is the immediate past President of the College, Yakasai told the VP the current President is from Senegal. (Prof Serigne Magueye Gueye.)

Yes by electing an expired robot to be our president while you serve as an errand boy to the grandpa.

As at 2015, WACS has done 5 surgical outreach programmes since 2010 and treated more than 800 surgical patients with very limited financial capacity in Calabar, Nigeria in 2010, Dakar, Senegal in 2011, Monrovia, Liberia in 2012, Lome, Togo in 2013, Kumasi, Ghana in 2014 and Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire in 2015.

Those successful WACS conference surgical outreaches have given us rational reasons not to stop this useful activity for the poorest patients in rural communities. Thank you Mr Vice president for the word of encouragement, God bless Nigeria, God bless Africa.

Yes vice president yemi osinbajo has said it all that we can solve our problems ourselves and by relating to one another we can do so

Don't forget the errand boy is far better than your Pman who never become a class captain in his entire life talkless of becoming a mere ward councilor.

NigeriaIsDoomed:
[s][/s]Yes by electing an expired robot to be our president while you serve as an errand boy to the grandpa [s][/s].

NigeriaIsDoomed:
Yes by electing an expired robot to be our president while you serve as an errand boy to the grandpa.

You need to learn how to address an elderly man and the number one or two citizen of Nigeria, anyway you refused to heed to the instructions from your parents I guess

You are right Mr Vice President, if only we know how oyinbo value our surgeons, we would have been given them a better treatment so we too can enjoy their servicing. God bless you mr VP

Do you know, In WACS 57 years of existence, the WACS has made significant strides in achieving its objectives, including middle-level workforce training, endowment funding, and professional development ? That's a great achievement and we hope for more from them. Thank you for receiving them Mr VP

God has created us in a unique way, just like the vice president said, we are capable of providing solutions to some of our problems. Just imagine the activities of this organization so far.

You need to go learn how to talk to elderly person.....HABA

NigeriaIsDoomed:
Yes by electing an expired robot to be our president while you serve as an errand boy to the grandpa.

Only a big fool would attempt to disagree with this piece of learned advice.

Nigeria has most of the best hands when if comes to the medical profession worldwide. The Vp is only stating the obvious on this.

NigeriaIsDoomed:
Yes by electing an expired robot to be our president while you serve as an errand boy to the grandpa.

Is this all what your brain can digest from the whole article??. You need prayers

Sometimes i guess the moderators themselves have a part to play in maintaining the sanity that goes on here, How you leave on a character with an a name like NigeriaIsDoomed
Their trends at going against anything and everything positive is alarming to say the least

Well say by the Vice President. The problem we have is we to come together and solve it ourselves with love and peace.

Nigeria is blessed with many human, natural and physical resources by God. Even some developed countries of the world rely on our human resources

What the VP said is true. The problem with Nigerians is that we want the government to do everything and it's not possinle. More than 60% of employers in the U.S. are private not government. why can't we not do same here and stop depending on government.

Those that hate Nigeria most are Nigerians forgetting that no matter we lay our bed, we shall surely lie on it.
Another crazy attitude is when you aren't benefiting directly yet from it but you believe either everything should be tuned towards you or be finally scattered!

NigeriaIsDoomed:
Yes by electing an expired robot to be our president while you serve as an errand boy to the grandpa.

When your monicker is "NigeriaIsDoomed", trust me the doom would start from your own life and family!

Well said,it’s of great importance for us to know that Nigeria is blessed with individuals who are skill ful and talented,thank you star boy for this wonderful piece

The VP nailed this one, the solution to our problems is in our hands.

Yes! One if they are given some chances

NigeriaIsDoomed:
Yes by electing an expired robot to be our president while you serve as an errand boy to the grandpa.

When will you get sense brother?

Joylove2324:

When will you get sense brother?

When we all get sense to elect sensible and responsible leaders and our rulers become sensible sister.

We have so many talented people in Nigeria but the problem is the moment they are given a bite of power, those smartness always turn to redundance

It is not only power, the moment average Nigerians have extra money or in a higher position, misbehaving is around the corner

One of the problem with human race is lack of application. Until we loss what we have we don't appreciate it

I quite agreed that Nigerians can solve most of the problems we are facing as a nation but here we find ourselves in unfortunate situation when largest percentage of youth in this country who suppose to be driving force behind our economy are not ready to develop entrepreneurer skill, overdependent on government for provision of job, engaging in unprofitable activities etc. How then do we now overcome challenges that pitched tent with us.