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“Posterity has penciled down the name, Professor Auwal M. Abubakar on a platter of gold. The pragmatic leader left a great legacy at the Federal Medical Centre,(FMC) Yola, now Modibbo Adama University Teaching Hospital, (MAUTH) Yola. He is the architect and the pioneer of the upgrade of the Centre to a fully-fledged Teaching Hospital. Indeed, history will be kind to him as one of the best Chief Medical Directors ever produced by this lofty institution. He will always be remembered for the multiple successful operations of conjoined twins.
“I am sure there must have been many times when you wanted to give up or when spending time doing other things might have seemed more attractive, but your hard work and diligence have certainly paid off.
On behalf of my humble self, my family and members of the Board MAUTH, I wish you God’s guidance and more blessings in your future endeavours. Congratulations on a remarkable accomplishment”. (Hajiya Habiba Ibrahim Umar Board Chairman, MAUTH Yola)
The journey from 2015 to 2023 reveals the transition from the Federal Medical Centre To Modibbo Adama University Teaching Hospital and in the chief executive terms, from Medical Director to Chief Medical Director with Prof Auwal Muhammad Abubakar as the captain.
The experiences as the years moved on, were spectacular, defined as progress and development or simply, the achievements in terms of human capacity development, infrastructure, equipment, surgical breakthroughs, clinical innovations and effective and efficient healthcare service delivery. The successes recorded, are to say the least, attributed to the spirit of teamwork, the capacity and capability of the captain as the Chief Medical Director.
Incidentally, it is a journey that would rejoice in rejoining school mates as the tripartite achievers, after some decades, as outstanding chief executives of institutions that would provide services in synergy; Professor Auwal Muhammad Abubakar the Chief Medical Director, Modibbo Adama University Teaching Hospital, Professor Abdullahi Liman Tukur, the Vice Chancellor, Modibbo Adama University and Professor Adamu Bakari Girei, the Provost College of Medical Sciences, Modibbo Adama University, Yola
Explaining the scenario, Professor Adamu Bakari Girei said, “Professor Abubakar Auwal Muhammad is a Paediatric surgeon of international repute, an efficient manager of human and material resources, a professional colleague and classmate. We first met in 1983, soon after our secondary school education at the School of Basic Studies Ahmadu Bello University.
By the special grace of God, both of us were admitted to the then Faculty of Medicine at ABU where we obtained the MBBS degree in 1989. As fate will have it, both of us did our internship at the Specialist hospital Yola
and have been close to each other since then. When he was appointed as the third Medical Director of the then Federal Medical Centre Yola,
“Professor Auwal is a Paediatric surgeon of international repute, an efficient manager of human and material resources, I had no doubt in my mind that he had a clear road map of developing the institution to enviable heights. I had no doubts because I know him as a disciplined, patient planner and team player whose eyes are always on the goals he has set for himself. I am certain that he has surpassed the expectations of most if not all stakeholders.
“It should be also on record that Professor Auwal spearheaded the advocacy for the establishment of the College of Medical Sciences at the Modibbo Adama University, a struggle he initiated almost immediately after assuming office as Medical Director.
“Fortunately, the university welcomed the idea and set-up a committee with membership drawn from the University and the Federal Medical Centre. Our visionary Vice- Chancellor Professor Abdullahi Liman Tukur gave his all to see to the fruition of this lofty idea.
In his testimony, the Vice Chancellor, Modibbo Adama University, MAU Yola, Prof Abdullahi Liman Tukur said, “my relationship with Professor Auwal is very long and so close. He has all along been a very close younger brother. Our togetherness started
way back in GSS Ganye. He met me at the finishing stages and incidentally, we’re from the same local government area, Jada local government and all of us happened to be in academia and as faith will have it, we both became chief executives of Federal agencies within the state. He, anchoring at the Federal Medical Centre, then as it was known and I here in the university
but of course on so many fronts both academics and community services, we have related very well, we worked very closely and developed very strong mutual respect for one another. We do a lot of things together for the good of humanity.
“And being the younger person that he is, very unassuming, very humble and always looks up to his elders no matter the age
difference, with a lot of reverence, a lot of respect and as an elder, you are forced to reciprocate in ways and manners that suggest that you are really the elder. Whatever he demands you make sure
you support him in terms of advice in terms of administrative and political drive. So, we found ourselves closely, strategically
planning and working together for the good of our people. And to that extent, one can only say that indeed, the essence of life and particularly of course, the education. So together I think we have achieved a lot”.
Dr Raji Bello is the Head of Anaesthetic Department, he speaks on Prof Auwal’s leadership and surgical breakthroughs:
“There is no doubt that Prof Auwal M. Abubakar has been the most impactful chief executive of FMC/MAUTH Yola yet. His tenure has witnessed a period of accelerated development of the hospital. He launched his tenure eight years ago by boosting the revenue generation of the Hospital through computerisation and renovating and equipping of various units of the hospital. He equipped and opened the newly built A&E, ICU and amenity wing of the hospital. He boosted the hospital’s water supply system, expanded and equipped its operating theatres, upgraded virtually all its clinical departments as well as the hospital canteen. He constructed the new psychiatric unit and new laboratory block.
“Prof Auwal was able to attracted a large number of new projects to the hospital through the Future Assured initiative of the First Lady, PEF, NCDC, NEDC, TETFUND and private philanthropists.
“The hospital’s Pauper’s Fund was fully developed under his watch.
He established residency training in the hospital by obtaining accreditation for virtually all the clinical departments. He has opened a perioperative nursing as well as A&E nursing schools.
He has pushed relentlessly for the opening of a medical school at the Modibbo Adama University and upgrading of the hospital to a teaching hospital. He has attracted medical expertise from far and wide to the hospital and made it famous for successful operations on conjoined twins.
“He has instituted awards for the best hospital wards which has significantly improved the condition of the wards. The development of the hospital has been quite phenomenal under his tenure.
“The most remarkable thing about Prof Auwal, which has contributed in no small way to his success, is his selflessness. His commitment to the hospital is total and he doesn’t let any personal needs take precedence over the needs of the hospital. His only concern at all times is how to bring more benefit to the hospital and he doesn’t spare any effort in this regard. The needs of the Department of Anaesthesia and ICU for drugs, consumables, equipment, and manpower have always been met by him within the limits of resource availability. He has indeed redefined public service.
In his testimony, the Chairman Medical Advisory Committee (CMAC) MAUTH Yola, Dr. Ahmadu Baba Usman commended Prof Auwal Muhammad Abubakar as “a brilliant, humble, kind career and academic coach with many positive memoirs of accomplishments. I’m so thrilled by his talents, skills, creativity, hard work and passion for the community. He relentlessly searches for solutions to problems and makes smart choices and innovative ways to improve the Hospital. After so many early mornings and late nights at the office he earned to be recognized, I can’t think of anyone who deserves it more. Such an amazing example for everyone here to emulate, cheers for a job well done Congratulations sir, for the incredible milestone. You deserve the spotlight”.
Prof Auwal achievements are duly acknowledged with so numerous to mention awards of honour.
In his recommendation while granting an interview, Prof Abdullahi Liman Tukur said,
“if it is not for another national calling somewhere else, I’d prefer Prof Auwal to stay around either with the University or with the Teaching Hospital as a professor of surgery. More importantly, with the Paediatric Centre of Excellence coming up, I think we still need him around for his continued support and advice”.
