By: Dr Tonya Musa

In a ceremony brimming with hope and solemn promise, the College of Medicine and Allied Health Sciences (COMAHS) welcomed its latest cohort of graduates into the fold of healthcare professionals on December 1, 2025.

The air at the Kossoh Town Campus was charged with emotion, not just from the 300-plus graduates taking their oaths, but from one distinguished guest on the podium who viewed the moment through a uniquely personal lens: Dr. Haja Ramatulai, Minister of Technical and Higher Education.

For Dr. Ramatulai, the stage was familiar, but her role had profoundly evolved. Addressing the gathering, she wove a narrative that connected her past, present, and the future she envisions for the graduates.

“Today is a day of great significance not only for each of you but for our nation as a whole,” she began, her voice reflecting both authority and deep affection. “This college is not just an institution, but a place of hope, a place where I have had the privilege of teaching, mentoring, and working with bright and dedicated minds since 2013.”

Her address was a homecoming. She recalled standing in the same podium years prior—first as a lecturer, then as a dean—watching other classes step into their destinies. “Many of the graduating class of 2025 may have passed through my Biochemistry classes,” she said, a note of warmth softening her formal tone. “It is truly humbling to witness your growth from students into competent, skilled, and compassionate health professionals.”

The minister’s journey from COMAHS lecturer to the nation’s top higher education official served as a living testament to her core message: the power of dedication. “This moment reminds me of the value of hard work, of patience and perseverance,” she advised, sharing a personal creed. “Work diligently and quietly, and let your results and success make all the noise.”

Her gratitude extended to the Presidency, acknowledging the trust placed in her. “I am mindful that my journey reflects what is possible for young people… I hope that my story encourages you to dream big, to work hard, and to pursue your own path of excellence.”

In a poignant shift from the personal to the professional, Dr. Ramatulai turned to the sacred commitment the graduates were about to make. Her voice grew firmer, underscoring the gravity of the moment. “As you take your oaths today, you are not only committing yourselves to the highest standards of practice in medical laboratory, pharmaceutical, nursing, and medical fields; you are formally pledging your dedication to ethical practice, to accountability, and to service to humanity. This oath is a sacred promise.”

She issued both a charge and a caution, urging the new professionals to be guardians of progress. “Be committed to national service and be resilient,” she urged, emphasizing that their role is fundamentally about saving lives and upholding the gains made in the nation’s health sector.

The ceremony also provided a moment to acknowledge institutional leadership. She extended official congratulations to the newly appointed Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Professor James Russell, expressing full confidence in his ability to build upon COMAHS’s legacy of excellence in teaching, research, and partnership.

As the graduates recited their oaths, the words echoed with renewed weight, underscored by the example of the minister who once taught them. Dr. Ramatulai’s presence transformed the event from a formal rite of passage into a powerful continuum—a demonstration that the classrooms of COMAHS do not just train healthcare workers; they cultivate the servants and leaders who will shape the nation’s future.