The Benue State Chapter of the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN) on Friday honoured Prof. Tor Iorapuu, Vice-Chancellor of Fr. Adasu University, Makurdi, with an award of excellence.
State Chairman of the society, Ben Ojobo, said in Makurdi that the honour recognised Iorapuu’s remarkable contributions to PSN and the advancement of the pharmacy profession in Benue.
Fr. Adasu University, formerly Benue State University, established its Faculty of Medicine and Pharmaceutical Sciences under Iorapuu’s leadership. Ojobo noted that prior to its creation, Benue indigenes had to travel across the country to study pharmacy, a situation that created shortages of lecturers and practising pharmacists in the state.
He added that the new faculty would now help produce sufficient pharmacists to meet the state’s healthcare needs.
In his remarks, Prof. Iorapuu appealed to PSN members and stakeholders to support the faculty, stressing the need to prepare students from secondary school level to succeed in such professional fields.
He also called on government to establish pure science secondary schools in Benue to strengthen the pipeline of future professionals.
“Aside from the Faculty of Medicine and Pharmaceutical Sciences, we also established the Faculties of Architecture and Engineering to enable the university compete favourably with leading institutions across the country. This is my last month in office, and it will be very painful if these faculties fail to achieve their purpose in the long run,” he said.
The outgoing VC commended the Visitor of the university, the Senate and the wider university community for their roles in setting up the new faculties.
(NAN)