Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) and SDP governorship candidate, Prof Hon, has congratulated Prof Joseph Ngbea on delivering his inaugural lecture, describing the academic milestone as both a reflection of his intellectual depth and a challenge to other professors yet to deliver theirs.
Prof Hon, who attended the 25th inaugural lecture of the Fr. Moses Orshio Adasu University Makurdi (MOAUM), said Prof Ngbea’s academic credentials showed that he was “well grounded” and deserved commendation for contributing to knowledge through the lecture.
The inaugural lecture, titled “The Human Skin: A Transition from a Physiologic Integument to a Clinicopathologic Emperor of All Diseases,” explored the skin as not merely the body’s largest organ but also a clinical window through which several diseases manifest.
Prof Ngbea, in his conclusion, noted that conditions such as psoriasis, molluscum contagiosum and Kaposi sarcoma had been documented among prominent skin manifestations of HIV/AIDS, particularly in patients with low CD4 counts and high viral loads.
He said although Benue remains one of the states with a high HIV/AIDS prevalence in Nigeria, estimated at 5.3 per cent, the severe and characteristic skin lesions associated with the disease in the past are now less commonly seen because of viral-load suppression through antiretroviral treatment.
The professor also used the occasion to draw attention to the importance of hypertension awareness, asking why people die suddenly and stressing that hypertension remains a silent killer. He urged people to check their blood pressure regularly.
Prof Ngbea recommended establishing immunohistochemistry services at the teaching hospital, particularly for diagnosing breast diseases and lymphomas. He also called for greater subspecialisation in anatomical pathology and stronger collaboration between pathologists, dermatologists and other medical specialities.
He further urged the university to develop innovative funding mechanisms to support journal publications and book authorship, while calling on the university and teaching hospital managements to prioritise staff motivation to improve performance.
Prof Hon said the lecture had demonstrated the value of scholarship to society, urging professors who were yet to deliver their inaugural lectures to see Prof Ngbea’s achievement as a challenge to contribute their own intellectual works to the body of knowledge.
