Nigeria produces the best in every way, its citizens continue to shine in various ways around the world, and as we continue to do what is right in public service, the country is bound to reach the top globally as a people, according to Acting President Yemi Osinbajo, SAN.
According to a statement by his spokesman, Laolu Akande, Prof. Osinbajo was speaking at the Presidential Villa where he received Dr. Oluyinka Olutoye, Houston, US-based Nigerian doctor who successfully led a medical team that operated on a foetus, winning US and global acclaim for the feat.
Olutoye had also been an active member of another medical team that had separated a set of conjoined twins successfully in the US. That team actually included two other Nigerian female doctors including his wife, Dr. Toyin Olutoye, an anesthesiologist, and Dr. Oluyemisi Adeyemi-Fowode, a pediatric gynecology fellow.
Osinbajo told Olutoye who was accompanied to the Presidential Villa by members of his family including his wife and parents that “our country continues to shine in various ways, your achievement is remakable in every sense. People are bound to wonder. It’s the kind that fables are made of. And this is from someone who is Nigerian-trained.”
According to the Acting President, “this country can be well run, we produce the best in every way, but it will take a lot of doing, by good men and women. This is what i have learnt in the past over two years here. If we do the right things, day by day, we’ll change and improve the Nigerian situation significantly.”
He continued, “the problem is not the about the availability of resources, but its the management,” recalling how it is that the Federal Government is now doing more when funds are scarce than in the days when oil was selling at over $100 per barrel.
“When we were making over a $100 per barrel, we were owing oil JVC cash calls, not able to pay salaries and owing contractors. Now that we are down in earnings by 60%, we have sorted out the problem of cash calls and are able to support states to pay salaries.”
Speaking earlier, Dr. Olutoye attributed his medical successes in the US to his Nigerian training and education up till the university. He is a graduate of Medicine from the then University of Ife.
“All we have achieved from primary to university is from Nigeria, and I believe that Nigeria will surpass what we have achieved out there.”
Olutoye’s father who was also at the late Thursday meeting, is the Alani of Ido-Ani, Oba Major-General (rtd) Olufemi Olutoye, OFR, the Oluwatomiloye 1.
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