Says Plans Underway to Collaborate with Cuba On College of Medicine
By Gift Olivia Samuel, The Sight News
The Vice chancellor, Nasarawa State University Keffi (NSUK), Prof. Suleiman Mohammed has called on the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), to ensure that state governments pay workers the New National Minimum Wage of N30,000.
This is just as he urged the leadership of the Labour movement to see to it, that states in the federation live up to their responsibilities to workers.
Mohammed said this on Wednesday at a lecture in Keffi to commemorate the 45th Anniversary of Nigeria-Cuba Relations in view of Nigeria hosting the 6th African Meeting of Solidarity with Cuba.
The VC who congratulated Labour for achieving the new National Minimum wage, said thus, “I believe that labor has a responsibility to ensure that their branches will make sure that the state governments live up to their responsibilities.
“We believe in the cause that you are fighting for, we believe in your solidarity and with what NLC is doing and I want to assure you that Nasarawa state University is your home”, he said.
In the same vein, the VC revealed that Nasarawa state university is desirous of establishing a college of medicine and will seek the support of the Cuban Government and people in that regards.
According to him, “We want the college of medicine to imbibe the kind of value system the Cuban people have. A value system which sees medicine as a profession to provide life and not merely one that is more concerned about money accumulation and commercialisation of health service.
“We will collaborate with them to ensure that the kind of college of medicine we will establish will not be about structures, medical personnel and paramedics but about a value system which places medicine over and above commercial interest and consideration”, he remarked.
He further thanked the Cuban Ambassador to Nigeria and the Cuban Government for the wonderful support extended to Nigeria.
While noting that the labour movements, human rights activists and solidarity movements are the ones to bring the change Nigeria so desires, he added that the University will support them to accomplish the task.
For his part, the Cuban Ambassador in Nigeria, H.E. Carlos Trejo stated that his country has been subjected to a strong and genocidal economic, commercial and financial blockade for almost 60 consecutive years by the successive governments of the United States of North America.
According to him, “They have intended to suffocate us, to kneel us, to recolonize us again, to silence the example of courage and solidarity of the Cubans.
“To prevent us from continuing to help other people, so that we do not send more doctors or teachers, or contribute to achieve the deserved and desired development goals that the third world has ahead”.
He further noted that the relations between Nigeria and Cuba has achieved a high political level confidence and coincidence in many issues that today impact international relations.
The Ambassador stressed that there is a lot to still do in the educational field especially Universities in the formation of human capital that is committed to the destinies of people.
