By Amaechi Agbo

As more commendations continue to pour in over Professor Uchnna Ekwochi’s one year in office as the Provost, ESUT College of Medicine, the Special Assistant on Health to the Enugu State Governor, Dr Yomi Jaye has disclosed that the pProvost has shown greater zeal to deliver in the past 12 months

Speaking in an interview with ESUT Monitor in his office, Dr Jaye who said that he had only known the Provost just over a year ago, noted that with his antecedents in one year, he has the capacity to elevate the College beyond where he met it.

Dr Jaye who spoke glowingly on Prof Ekwochi’s remarkable strides so far, said that his leadership trajectory aligns with His Excellency’s mission to revamp the healthcare system in the state.

A Public health consultant with over 20 years of extensive medical practice across Africa and the United States of America, the SPA however, pointed out that infrastructural development and fostering partnership that would help in the technological advancement of the College are two critical issues Prof Ekwochi’s administration should aim to tackle going forward.

Share with us your profile and duties, Sir

My name is Yomi Jaye and I have the privilege of serving as the Special Adviser on health matters to His Excellency, Barr Dr Peter Ndubuisi Mbah, the Executive Governor of Enugu State.

In that capacity I advise him on anything that pertains to health, primary to secondary healthcare, Colleges of  health, Medicine, Nursing and all institutions that pertain to healthcare as well as the ministry of Health. My role is to give different views from whatever ideas that come in.

I have the privilege of supervising the Enugu State International Hospital, the Teaching Hospital. I have oversights over them. That is why my in-and-out in the College of Medicine is being seeing almost all the time because from his mandate, the Governor made it clear on 29^th May 2023, that he is out to revamp a couple of things and one of them is health and you could see the drive on it. We know that to change things, you need a formidable, highly motivated and well-trained healthcare givers. If we don’t fix the College of Medicine, Schools of Nursing, we cannot achieve anything. Building and structures don’t make a health system, the capacity does. Those are my roles in this government and we are determined to give everything it will take to change the mind-set of people in the health system, raise their morals and make them flow with the mandate of His Excellency’s disruptive approach.

How long have you known the Provost of ESUT College of Medicine and what is your assessment of his administration in one year?

I knew him for only one year, that was when he come to office. One thing that blends with His Excellency and from my background is that anybody that can deliver, irrespective of his background or geographical location, if you can deliver, then, you are a friend, he will give you all the support.

For the Provost, he has demonstrated that he can wear a crown and still be humble. What we see in the medical field is that when you are up there, you become like a demigod, Prof Ekwochi demystified that. He came very real and you could see from the things he has done. For the first time in the College, you could see a bold step of being able to conduct a town hall meeting. That is making yourself to be vulnerable, to be questioned, it doesn’t happen but it happened in the College. He was able to face all the questions the students and staff asked, he sat down and took all of them. It takes a courageous leader to bring yourself to the judgement table and give your people the chance to examine you.

The mentorship programme that they just had recently is a key component of enhancing students’ career development and establishing effective relationship between them and their lecturers. In Western world, you can see your Vice Chancellor, sit and eat together; it does not happen here. In the African setting, once you see your professor coming, you disappear into thin air. The philosophy he is bringing into the College is a long time prospect, the people will see the impact much later.

Personally, I support someone with his kind of leadership and I am going to support him exponentially to succeed. I just knew him one year, not from anywhere, and he has demonstrated that one can wear a crown and still be human.

In which areas would want him to improve on, going forward? 

The two major things should be infrastructural development because in life, you cannot go beyond the space you have.

The space you are in determines your mind-set which in turn defines your growth. We need to relocate or take some part of the College to where it can blossom and do better. The second one is to foster a partnership that will promote technological development and improve experiential learning. Already, he is driving towards that. He is working in line with His Excellency’s goal in the health sector. 

If you were to call him on Wednesday, what would you tell him on the phone?

You have done well so far, but where you are today is not good enough for tomorrow, therefore, move forward and raise your standard.”