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Sokoto State Sponsored Bulgarian Doctors: Wamakko has failed! By Aisha Hassan Bodinga
I wish to draw the attention of Sokoto state governor, Alhaji Aliyu Magatakarda Wamakko, on the unbearable condition under which the remaining 25 students from the state that have since finished up their medical training in Bulgaria and have for some six months now been trapped there due to the failure of the state government to send them flight tickets for their trip back to Nigeria.
It is disheartening to learn that the state government, beginning with Bafarawa’s administration that initiated the programme, had spent much towards their medical training with a view to equipping the state with required medical doctors but only the state to now allow such professionals to turn beggars in Bulgaria at a time their services are highly welcome in the state health institutions. What a waste of public funds, if such laudable programmes could be halted at this critical point!
This attitude of Wamakko’s administration has been a subject of public discourse that as far as Alu is concerned, all programmes initiated by the former governor Bafarawa, no matter how laudable and visionary they are, must be stopped. Thus, people consider this as apparent clear sign of political madness in which governance is not seen in terms of continuity but reversal of policies of past administrations.
Its no longer a secret that Sokoto state lacks enough manpower in terms of qualified professionals like teachers, doctors, engineers and ICT. And this must have informed Bafarawa’s decision to initiate the plan to send a number qualified indigenes of the state abroad to study and practice in such courses with a view to making the state improve its manpower capacity in such critical professional areas.
Much resources and time were spent by the state government in the past ten years to achieved such feat, but because of Wamakko’s political vendetta and poor understanding of the what exactly the electorates needed as democracy dividends, such viable policies have since been reversed, or where they are allow to remain, little or no funding is being made thereunto.
Now we are talking about the plight of our 25 trained Doctors sent to Bulgaria to study Medicine over seven years ago and now have finished their programme waiting for air tickets to return back home.
The students have now graduated and were certified by the School of Medicine and other relevant agencies in the Bulgaria to practice as Doctors but were left to the mercy of Nigerian Embassy in Bulgaria waiting to have their flight tickets back.
It was the Former Administration of Attahiru Bafarawa that sent 50 students from Sokoto state to go to Bulgaria and study Medicine. Twenty five out of the total number have already returned back home undergoing their housemanship at different health institutions and are now awaiting for appointment to practice as medical doctors in the state health institutions.
But because there were sponsored by the Bafarawa Government nothing has been done since their return over two years ago in terms of their appointment and subsequent posting for primary assignment to enable them attend to patients queuing in our hospitals and health centres, most especially in the rural areas.
It’s a pity! And the citizens are right in calling for the state government to not only assign those that are already back to their places of primary assignment but to also quickly rescue those trapped in Bulgaria six months after rounding up their medical programme. Alu ho!
Aisha Hassan Bodinga Department of Social Studies/Primary Education Shehu Shagari College of Education, Farfaru, Sokoto |