CoMUI And Icomaa Hostel Building Committee Inspects Ongoing Construction Site

The College of Medicine, University of Ibadan (CoMUI) and Ibadan College of Medicine Alumni Association (ICOMAA) Hostel Building Committee participated in an inspection tour of the site of the new hostel being built for students of CoMUI by the alumni of the College on Thursday 2 March 2023. The site visit led by the Co-Chairman of the CoMUI/ICOMAA Hostel Building Committee, Major Gen. (Dr) Shina Ogunbiyi had in attendance the Provost of CoMUI, Professor Olayinka Omigbodun and the Secretary of the Building Committee, Professor Fatai Adeniyi (Deputy Provost). General Ogunbiyi also represented the other Co-Chair of the Committee, Professor Gbemisola Oke and the President of ICOMAA Worldwide, Professor Dipo Otolorin who were both unavoidably absent.

BUILDING COMMITTEE OF THE COLLEGE OF MEDICINE, UNIVERSITY OF IBADAN (CoMUI) STUDENT HOSTEL PROJECT SPEARHEADED BY THE IBADAN COLLEGE OF MEDICINE ALUMNI ASSOCIATION (ICOMAA)No. Name Graduating Class1. Professor Gbemisola Oke (Chair) (ICOMAA Nigeria) 19812. General Dr. Shina Ogunbiyi (Co-Chair) (ICOMAA Nigeria) 19823. Professor Dipo Otolorin (ICOMAA Worldwide President) 19724. Professor Adeyinka Ashaye (ICOMAA Nigeria) 19765. Dr. Yomi Sobowale (ICOMAA Canada) 19816. Dr. Modupe Shokunbi (ICOMAA NA) 19827. Dr. Chinyere Obasi (ICOMAA NA) 18858. Dr. Abib Olamitoye (ICOMAA Nigeria) 19859. Dr. Titi Britto (ICOMAA NA) 198610. Professor Segun Abudu ICOMAA UK 198711. Dr. Banji Adeyoju ICOMAA UK 198812. Dr. Olatunji Akintilo (ICOMAA NA) 198913. Prof. Babafemi Taiwo (ICOMAA NA) 199114. Dr. Jumi Banjo (ICOMAA Australia & New Zealand) 199015. Dr. Sola Akinbiyi (ICOMAA Australia & New Zealand) 199016. Professor Babafemi Taiwo (ICOMAA NA) 199117. Dr Okechukwu Ogah (ICOMAA Nigeria) 199518. Dr Paul Agbeniyi (ICOMAA South Africa) 199919. Dr. Iretenevesho Yvonne Obaitan (ICOMAA Nigeria) 202120. Professor A.F. Adeniyi (ICOMAA Nigeria) Secretary to the Committee 1999 Independent Technical Expert & Project Manager (Gratuitous) 21. Arc. Bimbo Ogunbiyi UI/CoMUI & UCH Representatives 22. Secretary to the College 23.

Representative of the CMD, UCH 24. Director of Physical Planning (UI) 25. Director of Works (UI) 26-28 Administrative and Accounting Support As can be seen, the Committee also includes members drawn from the University of Ibadan Works and Maintenance Department and the University College Hospital, Chief Medical Director’s Representative.The site inspection provided an opportunity for on-the-spot assessment of the progress of construction work which began a couple of weeks ago, with an initial focus on the construction of a retaining wall. The retaining wall will serve as a physical embankment against the torrential flow of water around the borders of the proposed hostel site.

The retaining wall is meant to ensure the preservation of the land and hostel against flooding in the long term, and to add to the aesthetics of the hostel environment. The visitation team was impressed by the ongoing work at the site and charged the contractor to ensure that the high-quality retaining wall is completed in 12 weeks as scheduled. While inspecting the site, the Provost, Professor Olayinka Omigbodun expressed delight at the setting-out work that had begun on the proposed Block C of the project. Block C is one of the two 88 two bedded room units with 4 Reading Rooms to be built by one of the alumni of the College, Professor Philip Ozuah (Alumnus 1985).

The entire project is made up of other structures including the Blocks A, B, D, E, and F with additional utility facilities.The visitation team was conducted around by the team of consultants at the site made up of a consortium of architects, quantity surveyors, mechanical/electrical engineers, and structural engineers. Also present at the site visit was the Project Manager, Architect Abimbola Ogunbiyi nee Afolabi who has offered her service to the project free of charge. A BSc and MSc graduate in Architecture from Ahmadu Bello University, she is project manager with 40 years in the private, government and foreign sectors of the building industry. She is a principal partner of Q Design Consultant Limited, where she excels in project planning design, facilitations, and contract administration. She is also an author of a must-read book titled: The Military Wife: Quiet, Confident and Strong. We are deeply grateful to her for offering her distinctive services free of charge to ICOMAA Worldwide. Married to a member of the MBBS Class of 1982, Major Gen. (Dr) Obashina Ogunbiyi and younger sister to Dr. Bimpe Animashaun nee Afolabi from the MBBS Graduation Class of 1980, we celebrate her and thank her for this great sacrifice.

The Provost and the Co-Chairs seize this opportunity to seek for more help from the body of alumni to actualize the legacy project in a speedy manner. They noted that so far, the alumni have reached out in support of the project by donating generously but reiterated the fact that there is still a long way to go with respect to the total funds required to complete the project, which will accommodate over 600 students. The total cost of the project is: NGN 2,542,876,978.51. Apart from the USD 1,000,000.00 from Professor Philip Ozuah, total donations received and credited into our accounts are NGN 156,599,278.00; USD 118,595.00; CAD 2,000.00 and GBP 6,320.33. So far, we have spent a total of NGN 91, 361,670.00. This expenditure was made for the preliminary work including soil tests and topography investigation and material advance payment to the contractor for the retaining wall which has already started. A more detailed breakdown will follow as we plan an interactive session with alumni as soon as possible. As soon as sufficient funds are raised, we will move to start another block.Profound gratitude is expressed to the alumni of CoMUI for being so exemplary by lending a helping hand to their alma matter at this most critical time of need. The project is anticipated to be of great benefit to generations of students of the CoMUI.