VC hails ex-Unilorin NYSC award winners

Prof. Sulyman Abdulkareem, the Vice-Chancellor, University of Ilorin (Unilorin), has commended graduates of the institution that recently received the President’s NYSC Honours Awards.

This followed the recipients outstanding performance during their one-year mandatory service to the nation.

Miss Rachel Olabanji, Mr Abdulazeez Olamilekan and Dr Gabriel Kolawole were among the 109 ex-Corps Members who served in the 2018/2019 Service Years.

They were honoured with the awards by President Muhammadu Buhari for distinguishing themselves in the course of national service.

Abdulkareem spoke on Monday while receiving the awardees, who came to present their “Medals of Honour’’ to him in his office.

The vice-chancellor however advised them to keep up the good work and appreciated the efforts of the Unilorin graduates.

He observed that the university was pleased with them and others around the world, who had been making the “Better By Far” institution proud.

Speaking on the sidelines of the visit, Dr Gabriel Kolawole, a graduate of Medicine and Surgery, observed that the most important stage in saving the life of a child in the emergency ward is those valuable early period of resuscitation.

“So, I initiated the Emergency Paediatric Scheme where sick children brought to the Emergency Ward would be attended to immediately without paying a dime.

“We provided everything needed for resuscitation, from IV cannulae, to fluids, to IV medications and materials like cotton wool, plaster and all that is needed to stabilise the patient for the first 24 hours,” he said.

Kolawole said he served at Adamawa German Medical Centre, Yola, noting that Unilorin played a huge part in modeling him to be one of those worthy of the national recognition.

“It really means a lot. It is a massive encouragement to keep up the humanitarian works I have passion for, and I am grateful to all who have had a contribution in one way or the other, towards making me who I am, and getting me here, for which the school played a big part,” he said.

He observed that poverty is a major factor in the town he served, he, therefore, initiated a personal Community Development Service (CDS) Project in order to reduce infant mortality in Yola.

On her part, Miss Rachael Olabanji, a graduate of Physiology, who served in Gombe State, said she donated water treatment devices and drums to 1,759 government schools in Gombe.

According to her, she also donated more than 70 different textbooks, organised a three-day computer appreciation training for students in government schools in the state.

Olabanji added that she also donated a book shelf to the students of Algeria Foundation School, Gombe, among others.

Also Mr Abdulazeez Olamilekan, a graduate of Marketing, who served in Plateau, drilled a borehole in Kungha Rigizan community in Jos North Local Government Area.

According to him, he organised a free medical outreach in Daula community in Jos, and also donated toiletries and food stuff to orphanage homes, among others.

Recall that the awardees were offered cash rewards and automatic employment in the Federal Civil Service with scholarship awards of post-graduate studies up to doctoral level in any university in the country.