“Seeth a man diligent in his works,he shall stand before kings not mean men-Proverbs’
For newly appointed
Federal Commissioner for the nation’s Salary, Income and Wages Commission,(NSIC), Dr. (Mrs.) Christiana Mojisola Yayah- Kolade,the above scripture fits perfectly .
In her four decades in the field of health both as students and practitioner at various times,she has seen the inside and outside of her medical practice.
Since the commencement of her journey in the field of health care as a vocation and profession in 1980 , she has traversed virtually all aspects of health care delivery and medical practice.
From a humble beginning as a student nurse in 1980 and 2005, when she qualified as a full fledged medical doctor,she has traversed the medical field obtaining multiple qualifications in three key areas..Nursing,Pharmacy and Medicine.
In fact, her story is liken to a professional with a complete metamorphosis in the field of health services- medicine in particular.
After completion of her secondary school education at the Abeokuta Grammar School in 1978, she began her journey in the field of health training.
Her career in field of health, which she held passionately close to her heart,started in 1980 after having successfully completed her Midwifery course at the Sacred Heart hospital also in Abeokuta Ogun State. She complemented her Midwifery training with the School Of Nursing programme at the nation’s premiere University College Hospital Ibadan in 1983.
After graduation, she horned her nursing skills as a staff nurse and midwife with the Oyo State Health Management Board where between 1983 and 1986 she was involved in medical and surgical nursing combined with obstetrical and gynecological nursing care.
In order to improve on her education and pursue her career further,she relocated to the United States in 1987.
This took her to the Brookdale Hospital Medical Centre where she started as a staff nurse and midwife.
Later,her passion for all- round medical training made her to to enroll at the St John’s University, College of Pharmacy between 1989-1992 where she graduated with a degree in Pharmacy.
In the course of her practice as a registered pharmacist, Dr Yayah-kolade worked with Premier and Stella Pharmacies, two top rated Pharmacies in Brooklyn,New York both as Intern and staff pharmacist between 1993- 1997.
At both institutions, she supervised and managed their pharmacy staff and was also preoccupied with approval of prescriptions and other duties.
Not satisfied again,the industry in her got her enrolled to study medicine at the New York College of Osteopathic Medicine,Long Island,New York between 1997-2002.
After graduation,she also had stints at the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine between 2003-2005 as a residency in family medicine.
For over 13 years after the completion of her formal medical training, she was involved in medical works both at New Era Clinic and Rehabilitation Centre as President and Chief Operating Officer and Consultant Physician both at St Vincent Medical Centre,Bridgeport, Connecticut and Bridgeport Hospital of Yale University.
Beside other vocations, she also served as Director Of Medical Services,which involved creating and maintain a standard of medical care and participated in and successfully completed accreditation process managed by the American Joint Commission on Accreditation of Hospitals.
As part of her desire to give to humanity,she founded and served as President, the Christiana &Ebenezer Kolade Foundation (Mokolade) – an institution involved in community development,youth Empowement, women empowerment and poverty alleviation among other preoccupations to contribute her quota and give back to society in her native Oye Ekiti.
Perhaps this made her to accept the call for service in Ekiti State where she served as the Honourable Commissioner for Health and Human Services between April 2019 and August 2020 .
There, she supervised the state ministry of health and its agencies including the activities of about 200 Primary Health Care Development Agency; activities of State Hospitals Management Board with 21 secondary facilities among others.
Dr Yayah-Kolade was the Coordinator of the Ekiti State Covid-19 Task Force and Coordinator of the Covid-19 Emergency Operating Centre.
Hence,her assumption of office about three weeks ago as Federal Commissioner in the National Income and Wages Commission is another opportunity for her to put into practice her industry and diligence over the past four decades.
This is another call to national service from which more is expected as the saying..the compensation for hard work is more work and responsibility.
