In a bid to create health awareness among drivers in the University, the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta Alumni Association (FUNAABAAS) recently held its maiden edition of health awareness programme. Delivering his keynote address, the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Felix Salako, represented by the Deputy Dean, Postgraduate School, Prof. Moolaji Omemu, thanked FUNNABAAS for giving back to the University, stressing that ‘health is wealth and without health, life is almost gone’.
The Vice-Chancellor encouraged drivers to always go for medical tests and not feel jittery, stating that health is a holistic thing that is not limited to physical wellbeing alone but includes emotional health. The Odeda Branch Chairman of FUNAABAAS, Dr. Oludare Adekoyeni said the basis for establishing the association was to foster cooperation among the members by ensuring they make a positive impact to the University, and society at large.
He appreciated the University Management for impacting positively on them, stating that the greatest gift anyone could give a man is to make him healthy. He urged participants to be free with medical practitioners at the event by sharing their experiences with them while assuring them that their medical records would be kept confidential. Dr. Adekoyeni further explained that they were graduates of the University, who are now medical doctors by profession, stressing that they proceeded to study medicine at another University after they had completed their courses of study at FUNAAB.
In his remarks, the President of FUNAAB Alumni, Chief Sola Tobun, represented by the Director of Publicity, FUNAABAAS, Alhaji Sikiru Salako said one of the things an alumni association was expected to do was keying into the foresight of the University Management by making an impact through such programmes. He stated that the programme was essentially for drivers to get information that would assist them in their daily activities, advising them to interact with the available medical practitioners, to get referrals at the institution’s clinic. He described drivers as stakeholders in the NHIS scheme of FUNAAB, as he advised them to always visit the clinic. Chief Tobun lauded national officers at the Odeda Branch for putting up the programme, stating that since the present executives of the alumni came on board, they had been contributing to the progress of the University. He reiterated that one major impact of the alumni was in the provision of ‘Alumni Shuttle Buses’, which makes the name of FUNAAB to continue to ring a bell.
Delivering his lecture on “Why Vital Signs Check”, the Director, Health Services of FUNAAB, Dr. Abiodun Amusan disclosed that 85% of diseases were preventable while 15% were non-preventable. He stressed the need for citizens to agree, as a nation, to allocate 85% of the national budget on the non-preventable diseases. Dr. Amusan added that NHIS covers every staff of FUNAAB and other government workers, their spouses and three children under the age of 18, stressing that those in the University were covered by another health scheme.
He explained that staff in his office were on the ground to check the health conditions of workers. He noted that some drivers had already been trained on how to carry out first aid treatments whenever the need arose, saying that one of the drivers attached to the Institute for Human Resourses Development (INHURD), was sent to Lokoja, Kogi State, to learn about Ambulance Treatment and Emergency Cases. He advised drivers and other participants to always make themselves available for medical check-ups, as he appreciated the alumni association for a job well done. Dr. Amusan stated that the University would soon be having its Optometry Unit, where anomalies having to do with eyesight would be detected and eyeglasses would be given to those in need.
The Route Commander, Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Ogun State Command, Mr. Kehinde Oyeyemi, educated the drivers on road safety tips, urging them to avoid taking alcohol while driving and to monitor their speed whenever they were within road construction areas. He cautioned them to be very careful during the raining season as they cannot determine the state of the roads. He urged car owners to keep monitoring their drivers, to avoid any unforeseen circumstances. He emphasised that drivers should try to maintain and reduce their speed to between 60kph and 70kph, as he encouraged them to ensure adequate maintenance of their tyres. The FRSC boss stated that about 17,233 unclaimed drivers licence were at the Oke-mosan office of the commission in Abeokuta while charging drivers to go and claim their licences.
