Lack of funding, legal framework our major challenges- CEO ICOH

From Mustapha Adamu, Kano

The Chief Executive Officer of Inter-Country Centre for Oral Health For Africa (ICOH), Dr Sani Balarabe Auwal, has said that lack of adequate funding and legal framework are the major challenges to the activities of the centre.
Speaking at the opening of a 5-day training of the ICOH’s staff, held at Minjibir park in Kano State, yesterday, the CEO said a law governing the activities of the parastatal has not been passed for the past 30 years.
According to him, lack of legal backing has blocked the centre from accessing some partnership, adding that, the World Health Organisation (WHO) had stipulated that all other 46-member countries should have collaboration with one another.
He however stated that the law had already passed first and second reading in the National Assembly, adding that the centre is now awaiting the committee report to pass third reading and passed into law soon.
Auwal expressed optimism that, “once the bill passed the third reading, I am hopeful president Muhammadu Buhari would quickly sign it into law.”
“Lack of funding and legal framework are our major challenges. With the legal framework, others can not collaborate with you. The law has not been passed for the past 30 years, but it has now scaled first and second reading.
“With the law, our centre would be able to be a regional one. It will enable us expand our activities and get more partnership. Thank God, we have now started getting steady funding and our staff’s morale has been boosted, “ he said
The CEO explained that ICOH is a training and research center on traumatic dental injuries, NOMA (Cancrum Oris) oral cancer, oral manifestation of HIV /AIDS and traditional oral health practices in collaboration with WHO.
He therefore called on the staff to concentrate on the training and put the knowledge they acquire in to practice in discharging their duties.