*OUR PEOPLE CAN SOLVE MANY OF OUR PROBLEMS – VP OSINBAJO*

_Osinbajo lauds West African surgeons for thousands of free surgeries_

Given the impressive performance and achievements recorded by Nigerians across diverse fields, at home and abroad, it is evident that many of the country’s problems can be solved by Nigerians themselves without recourse to foreign aid, according to Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, SAN.

Prof. Osinbajo said this on Friday when he received a delegation from the West African College of Surgeons (WACS), in his office. (The College formed by a group of young Nigerian surgeons 60 years ago predated the Economic Community of West African States)

The delegation led by Prof. Ibrahim Yakasai, mni, was at the Aso Rock Presidential Villa to brief the Vice President about the activities of the College including its planned 60th Annual General Meeting and Scientific Conference scheduled for Abuja. Yakasai is the Local Organising Committee chairman.

Speaking after listening to a brief on the achievements of the WACS, the VP said “I am glad to hear the good things that have been done by the college through the years.

“I believe that a lot of our problems, some of the aids that we need, can be provided by ourselves. We have the resources including human capacity to do it.” He thanked the delegation for the visit, assuring the College of the Federal Government’s continued support.

Earlier in his remarks, the immediate past President of the College, Prof. King-David Yawe highlighted some of the achievements of WACS especially with regards to free medical outreaches to several Nigerian communities.

He said while working with the Presidential Committee on North East (PCNE), the College has conducted 9, 000 surgeries on 49,000 patients in the Northeast with the insurgency in the region, adding that the body was currently conducting free medical outreaches in 14 hospitals across the FCT, some North Central States and Maiduguri.

Prof. Yawe added that as part of the 2020 pre-conference events, the College is currently conducting free surgeries in the FCT, Borno and other States, noting that 700 such surgical operations have so far been conducted in the past one week with a target of reaching 1000 before the commencement of conference.

He also said that the outreaches which started 14 years ago include eye surgeries, orthopedic, paediatric & plastic surgeries, brain tumor amongst many others complicated health challenges that otherwise cost patients several millions of Naira, and for which many travel out of the country to treat.

Continuing on the activities of the surgeons, Prof. Yawe said the College has accredited training centres in Gombe, Borno and Yobe States.

He commended the Buhari administration’s support to the association in partly funding some of its activities and meeting its responsibilities especially in solving its 20-year-old problem regarding a request for land in the FCT.

Prof. Yawe informed the VP that the land has been allocated to the College for the establishment of a Skills and Simulation Centre to train surgeons in West Africa in hi-tech surgeries.

The leader of the delegation, Prof. Yakasai also informed the VP that the College works in partnership with the ECOWAS and has surgeons from 18 countries with over 7000 fellows across West Africa. The College conducts training, postgraduate education and research activities

While Yawe is the immediate past President of the College, Yakasai told the VP the current President is from Senegal. (Prof Serigne Magueye Gueye.)

*Laolu Akande*,
Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media & Publicity,
Office of the Vice President.
15th February 2020.

As at 2015, WACS has done 5 surgical outreach programmes since 2010 and treated more than 800 surgical patients with very limited financial capacity in Calabar, Nigeria in 2010, Dakar, Senegal in 2011, Monrovia, Liberia in 2012, Lome, Togo in 2013, Kumasi, Ghana in 2014 and Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire in 2015.

Those successful WACS conference surgical outreaches have given us rational reasons not to stop this useful activity for the poorest patients in rural communities. Thank you Mr Vice president for the word of encouragement, God bless Nigeria, God bless Africa.

The vice president is right, we have people who are capable of doing greater work here in Nigeria. We don't need to travel abroad before getting some operations done. We just need to support them in all areas.

Prof Osinbajo is very right here, Nigeria has alot of talents that we don't value untill we lose them. It's time we appreciate our own product and Nigeria shall be great again. WACS has been doing great and we expect more from them. Thanks Mr Vice President

True talk from the Vice president

We are so lucky to have prof Osinbajo as our vice president, very brilliant, intelligent and hard working. Hope our Surgeons would stick to all his advice so Nigerians can enjoy their service more. Nigeria to the world.

I concur with you, God really bless this country with alot of talents if only we can manage it well.

Joylove2324:
Prof Osinbajo is very right here, Nigeria has alot of talents that we don't value untill we lose them. It's time we appreciate our own product and Nigeria shall be great again, WACS has been doing great and we expect more from them. Thanks Mr Vice President

Prof. Yawe added that as part of the 2020 pre-conference events, the College is currently conducting free surgeries in the FCT, Borno and other States, noting that 700 such surgical operations have so far been conducted in the past one week with a target of reaching 1000 before the commencement of conference.

Sincerely alot of good things are still happening in Nigeria. There is hope. God bless them, God bless VP Osinbajo

The truth is that we have many capable hands in Nigeria, glad the government is recognizing this and giving them the environment to thrive. God bless Nigeria.

Nice say sir, Prof Osinbajo is that right man for Nigeria.

It is of great value and self acclaimed glory to know that Nigerians are blessed but it’s just so unfortunate that we don’t value what God has bestowed in our lives,well said by the Vp,na man you be

What the VP said is true. The problem with Nigerians is that we want the government to do everything and it's not possinle. More than 60% of employers in the U.S. are private not government. why can't we not do same here and stop depending on government.

Nigeria is blessed with a lot of people and talents that are capable of solving our problems.

Yes! we can solve our problems and reduce depending on foreign aids but sad to see that Nigerians are the greatest enemies of themselves. The present administration tried to promote locally made goods and stop certain items from coming to this country so that indigineous company can grow and give opportunity for workers their to be developed mentally yet, Nigerians are reacting against it. For us to be able to solve our problems, we need to start developing, value and embracing what we do locally.

Mere commissioner...

May you recover your lost sense in jesus name

BlackfireX:
[/s]Mere commissioner[s]...