OSCOHTECH celebrates 40th anniversary

OGUN State College of Health Technology, Ilese-Ijebu, Ogun State, will soon begin awarding degrees in Medical Laboratory Science, Environmental Health and Health Information Management, in affiliation with the Kwara State University, Malete.

This was part of the achievements reeled out last week Wednesday by the provost of the college, Dr Abiodun Oladunjoye, while unveiling plans for the 40th anniversary celebration of the institution.

He said plans were at an advanced stage on this, and that the college was only waiting for the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to be approved by the Ministry of Education.

OSCOHTECH was established in 1976 as a school under a department in the Ministry of Health, and operated temporarily from Itamogiri in Ijebu East Local Government. It moved to its permanent site at Ilese in 1982.

The school was upgraded to a college with polytechnic status in 1976, while the law establishing it was amended in 2010 to facilitate its transfer to the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology.

According to Oladunjoye, the college that started off with 41 students and two programmes now runs 11 programmes duly accredited by the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) and various other professional boards and councils.

Graduates from the college, he said, are now mobilized for the National Youth Service from four departments – a feat he described as the first in any College of Health Technology in Nigeria.

He also disclosed that the Pharmacy programme of the college has been accredited by the Pharmaceutical Council of Nigeria (PCN).

Oladunjoye listed other achievements of the college to include various educational and academic collaborations with KWASU and the Tai Solarin University of Education, Ijagun, Ogun State as well as regular payment of staff salaries and allowances.

Tribune Education recalls that the provost recently told the House of Assembly Committee on Education, Science and Technology who paid a working visit to the college that OSCOHTECH was able to generate N135 million between January and July, 2016.

When asked how his management was able to achieve this IGR feat, Oladunjoye attributed it to prudent management of financial resources.

He also credited part of the feat to the computerization of the college’s accounting system. But above all, he said the college had never borrowed any kobo from any bank for its operations.

But he spoke of the challenges of the college too, top of which is paucity of funds; unexpected and unilateral increase in indexing fees of some courses by some professional bodies as well as limited carrying capacity of students indexed by the professional bodies/councils.

While thanking the alumni of the institution and the state government for their support, Oladunjooye appealed for more financial assistance from the alumni and other well meaning individuals.

The 40th anniversary programme, according to him, will kick off with a Jumat Service on November 11; and a Christian service on November 13, 2016.

A novelty match is scheduled for Monday November 14, to be followed by a community health screening on November 15; while an anniversary lecture/cocktail will hold on Wednesday November 16.

The programme will culminate in a convocation/Award Night on Thursday November 17.