The State University of Medical and Applied Sciences (SUMAS) held its maiden matriculation, with over 700 students enrolled in various departments, including 50 students each in medicine and pharmacy. Speaking to Freedom square on Solid 100.9Fm, the Vice Chancellor, Prof. James Chukwuma Ogbonna, emphasized that the university’s quality staff recruitment and top-notch learning environment set it apart from other universities.
He noted that the university’s principal officers were appointed by Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, and that many local governments were represented to ensure that students from different regions would be represented when they applied. The recruitment process involved a computer-based exam, with a total of 600 candidates who scored highest selected for interview.
The Vice Chancellor stressed the importance of meritocracy in the recruitment process, stating that the university would not make use of sentiments to avoid interference from other members of staff. To ensure that the recruitment process was transparent and fair, a human resources team was hired to conduct the interviews, and the procedure was posted on the website for all to see.
Both the academic and non-academic staff used a similar recruitment procedure, with a CBT exam conducted for all. The registrar, Mr. Anselem Onah, expressed his gratitude to Governor Ugwuanyi for not interfering with the recruitment process, adding that the university recruited people from different areas to maintain international standards. The university currently has six programs running, with others to come soon, including Clinical Medicine and Dentistry, Basic Medical Sciences, Health Sciences, Pharmacy, Engineering, and Built Environment, Natural and Applied Sciences.
The university has been built to meet societal needs, particularly in areas where the country is experiencing shortages. It boasts solar lights, cabled internet, and an E-library accessible to all.
The Vice Chancellor, also noted that the university has two hostels with over 450 bed spaces, as well as dedicated boreholes and solar panels that guarantee 24-hour power supply and internet. Ten industrial boreholes are located around the campus.
The university’s teaching hospital has over 120 bed spaces and provides secondary and basic health care services, with about seven departments currently in operation. The hospital is already functional, with the OPD section almost completed. He also revealed that a mother and child hospital is already in place, with a 52-seater bus and a brand new ambulance donated to the school. Helipads have also been built to enable dignitaries from all over the world to visit the university.
Finally, the Registrar stressed the cost of maintaining a good education and expressed his hope that the government’s investment in quality education through SUMAS would continue to be supported by the state government. He revealed that the governor-elect, Dr. Barr. Peter Mbah, is also interested in SUMAS, as summarized in his manifesto, and expressed confidence that the university would continue to thrive through research grants and endowment funds. Sumas has come to stay, and the university is poised to make a significant impact in the medical and applied sciences field.