Medical students of the University of Abuja have opted for the transfer option to other universities after the failure of the school management to provide medical facilities for their training.

The aggrieved students who yesterday stormed the headquarters of the federal ministry of education with placards carrying different inscriptions and chanting songs concerning their plight and grievances, pledged that on no account would they retreat without the minister’s intervention as even the presence of security personnel did not deter them from their protest.

The medical students’ president of the university, Uchenna Anyanwu told reporters that the students had not done anything for the past three months and there was need for the federal government to save them from such stagnancy as even efforts to reach the institution’s vice chancellor, Prof Joseph Adelabu had proved abortive.

He said: “initially we said no to the transfer option based on the advice we got from the Medical Dental Association of Nigeria and also based on the fact that the VC promised that the facilities will be ready within six months. Already, we have spent over three months without doing anything” hence the call for the transfer option.

The permanent secretary of the ministry, Dr Ben Ibeh was rebuffed and barred from entering the ministry’s premises by the angry students even as he tried to explain to the them that a 48-man committee was set up last week to carry out a thorough audit of the school’s management and there was need for patience so that lasting solution could be reached.

It would be recalled that the needs assessment committee discovered that 100 students studying Veterinary Medicine were being taught by 45 lecturers that have been doing so without a functional laboratory for practicals, neither does the programme have the requisite approvals from the National Universities Commission.


University Of Abuja Medical Students Opt For Transfer