FEATURED NEWS
CHS Honours Retiring Profs, Departed Colleague At Valedictory College Board
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- Published: 19 May 2021
By Humphrey Ogu
It was a feeling of ambivalence that pervaded the College of Health Sciences Board Room on Wednesday, November 25, 2020, when a Valedictory Board Meeting was held in honour of four Professors, who retired from the service of the University after decades of teaching, researching and mentoring younger colleagues and students in the College. Among those honoured were Professors Anthonia Okerengwo of the Department of Haematology, Immunology and Blood Transfusion, Ndubuisi Eke of the Department of of Surgery and Ambrose Obiechina of the Faculty Dentistry. Also honoured at the event was Professor Rollings Jamabo of the Department of surgery, who died on July 6, 2020. Welcoming guests to the event, Provost of the College, Professor Iyeopu Siminialayi expressed mixed feelings that the Professors were retiring in good health, while their services, expertise and experiences would be missed in the College. He particularly expressed sadness that the late Professor Jamabo did not live to see the day. In his tributes to each of the retirees, Professor Siminialayi also recounted their contributions to the development of the College, wishing them good health, peace and joy in retirement. In their separate speeches, former Provosts of the College, Professors Osaretin Odia and Blessing Didia and others heaped encomiums on the retiring Professors, highlighting the important roles they played in building the College. Others who also extolled the virtues of the retirees included Professors Oladimeji Akadiri, Henry Alapiki and the Deputy Provost, Angela Frank-Briggs. In her response, Professor Okerengwo, expressed gratitude to the College for honouring her, disclosing that she recently enjoyed a TETFundsponsored training overseas. "Despite my retirement, I would be available to teach my postgraduate classes which I was unable to complete due to the Covid-19 pandemic," she said. On his part, Professor Obiechina, who recalled how he got to the University, said "University of Port Harcourt gave me the opportunity to rediscover myself. I'm glad I came here." Professor Eke who joined the event via zoom, had Professor Nze Jebbin stand in for him at College Board Room, while Dr Ibiebeleari Jamabo represented his family.
