By Moses Nosike

The outgoing Registrar and Chief Executive of the Dental Therapy Registration Board of Nigeria (DThRBN), Mrs. Mercy Omowunmi Ojo, in a media chat with newsmen in her office said, one of the achievements she would never forget even as she was retiring was the fact that she introduced digital operation in her tenure, and because of that achievement the operation in DthRBN became seamless, flexible where schedules can be carried out even from home. She said “before I came on board as registrar, the operational system was cumbersome”.

Mrs Ojo said that another feat she achieved which she would want to be remembered for in the DthRBN is that she fought and removed the career progression barrier that was placed on dental therapists for many years. According to her, “This was a situation where dental therapists could not rise above level 14 no matter your experience on the job. People were working but stagnated because they had no university degree but a Higher National Diploma. So I made it one of my visions when I became registrar because I was also a victim of that injustice.

“They couldn’t move beyond that level. Even if you have your PhD, they will tell you it has to be from the dental profession. When I came in, there was nothing like a degree for dental therapists but I took it upon myself to ensure that that issue was resolved. It was like my vision because I am an in-house person here and I have experienced the same injustice. People that met me in service when I was already on level 10 became directors and I was still on level 14 because I have HND. I could not move despite the fact that I have acquired additional qualifications. And there were no degree training institutions for dental therapists in Nigeria.

“So, when I became the registrar in DthRBN, I took it upon myself and today, I can proudly say that we have succeeded in removing the barrier of level 14. Dental therapists are now accepted to move up to level 17 but that was after three years when the people that enrolled in Legacy University of Gambia for a degree programme had passed out”.

According to her, “It was around then that the School of Dentistry in Enugu was upgraded to a degree awarding institution. So, I used the certificates from Legacy University and those from Enugu School of Dentistry to justify why we should be allowed to move beyond level 14 to 17 and it was granted to us”.

She spoke of so many other achievements ranging from removing the carrier progression barrier to digitalisation of the Board, institutionalisation of the administrative framework and capacity building for transparent management of the Board among other sterling achievements.

To underscore her achievements, the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) rated the Board 72.90 percent and 81.78 percent respectively in the last two years.

On what she intends to do after retirement, Mrs Ojo said, “I would be retiring into farming having had an eventful eight-year outing at the board”.