Association donates multi-million naira projects to UNTH

By Ifeoma Ogbu

The class of 1996 Medical Students’ Association of the University of Nigeria (UNMSA’96) Wednesday donated perimetre fence, security gates and sports equipment worth millions of naira to the medical students at the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital (UNTH), Ituku Ozalla, in Enugu state.

Commissioning the projects at the Nigerian Universities Games hostel, UNTH, the vice chancellor of the University of Nigeria, Prof Benjamin Ozumba, commended the donors for the gesture, and called on them to engage in creative initiatives and research, adding that the institution would always support them.

“I commend the action of the UNMSA’96 Alumni. I encourage you to embark on researches to attract grants. I also wish to inform you that my efforts recently paid off as we attracted some projects to this institution. We are optimistic that more will be attracted.”

Prof Ozumba said despite poor funding of the institution by the federal government, the university ‘is rated high in the world’, adding that approvals had been gotten for the Germany government to embark on solar energy and agricultural projects in the institution.

In his speech, the provost, College of Medicine, UNTH, Prof Uchenna Nwagha, described the event as unique, stating that the action of the body was in line with the efforts of the vice chancellor towards uplifting the institution.

He said, “The donors have followed your footsteps and established an advancement office called E-aspect to identify and appreciate projects carried out by alumni bodies and post them on their website. I commend the good work of the vice chancellor, especially on the award of contracts for the construction of a three-twin storey building for the

Faculty of Dentistry and Medicine.”
In their separate speeches, Prof Cyril Chukwudi Dim, a consultant gynaecologist and obstetrician and chairman, 1996 UNMSA, and the secretary of the association, Dr Esther Ekwe, explained that the multi-million naira projects they embarked on were propelled by their eagerness to give back to their alma mater.

The items donated include 104-by-100 metres wall, two table tennis boards, security gate and badminton courts.