By Aderogba George
Dr Salma-Ibrahim Anas, the Special Assistant (SA) to the President on Health Matters, has promised to use her new office to bring about policies and programmes capable of improving the health sector.
Anas, who until her recent appointment was the Director, Head of Hospital Services, Federal Ministry of Health, made the pledge when staff of the Department of Family Health paid her a courtesy visit.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the visit was to congratulate her on the appointment and to bid her farewell from the ministry.
While receiving the delegation, Anas stated that the appointment was for the benefit of all at the ministry and the nation at large.
She said that she would use her position at The Presidency to bring developmental policies and programmes, as well as influence whoever was coming as the minister to follow the transformation agenda.
“This position is not for me alone, someone had earlier told me they had never given this position at the national level to somebody from the ministry; it is either they picked from the universities, private sector or get someone from abroad.
“This celebration is our celebration, they have seen that we are working to drive the health sector on and so the victory is for all of us, there is no room for failure, this is the first time they are selecting one of us.
“The agenda to revive the health sector was derived from us. We will work to put the agenda in place for whoever is coming as the minister and if we failed, they will never again come to the ministry to pick a person,” she said.
Anas earlier appreciated the role played in her life by Dr Jide Idris, a former Lagos State Commissioner of Health,pointing that she started her leadership role in the health sector through his motivation.
She said she had been with Idris for many years, pointing out that he was the brain behind the transformation agenda put before the President aimed at reviving the health sector even before the 2023 general elections.
The special assistant described Idris as the best man to work with when it comes to operationalising agenda in the health sector, saying that he was the man behind her success.
