The students of Delta State University (DELSU), Department of Medicine are beginning to regret ever choosing to study in the university.
The students who have being stagnated due to the inability of the university’s management to provide the needed facilities especially man-power, are not only in dilemma of how many years it currently takes to study Medicine but, are now used as money making ventures for the same institution which deliberately starves them of the needed lecturers and asked to pay extra years’ school fees.
Some of the students who spoke to The Union Nigeria, said, “Many sets of the Medical students who have been stagnated, running a session for 2 to 3 years instead of one year, are being forced by the institution’s authority to pay school fees for period lost to covid-19, wherein students were not in school and period they were forced to be stagnated for the failure of the institution to provide the needed lecturers.
“The 2016/2017 set of the students who are currently in 400 Levels have been met by the subsequent set (2017/2018) in same level.
“Currently, there are two sets of 400 Level as the former level could not proceed to 500 Level due to unavailability of lecturers to take them through some courses.
“They have been in that same level for over two years. Only recently, were they given lecturers to undertake those courses as the last set that graduated from the institution are still having problem of proceeding for Houseman-ship for the inability of the school to meet up with accreditation required which was due since December2020. This necessitated the provision of the lecturers to meet up with the accreditation requirements.
“They are billed to commence their 400 Level exams next week but are being threatened that except school fees for the extra years are paid, they would not commence their 400 Level exams. Very callous one may say, after stagnating for the fault that was not theirs.
”Currently, the 2015/2016 set has also spent over two years in one level (500L). They finished their exams almost three months ago (August) and their results are still withheld by the school authority insisting that they must pay 6th and 7th years’ (extra year) school fees before they will see their results or be allowed to commence 600Level lectures.
“Result for the session in which school fees was paid and done with is being withheld, yet, they are held down that until the extra years school fees are paid along with the 6th year’s fees which the students are even ready to pay, they will not commence lectures.
Efforts to Reason With Management
The students were said to have traveled from Delta State University Teaching Hospital, Oghara to Warri to meet with the Vice Chancellor who has been adjudged to have a listening ear, when he visited Central Hospital to inspect the facility being put in place for accreditation but, could not meet with him as he was said to be rushing back to Abraka.
The students were making efforts to see the Vice Chancellor in his office to acquaint him with their predicament when they received threat on stalling of the commencement of exams for the first batch of 400Level except they pay school fees for years wasted due to unavailability of lecturers.
Parents Lament Varsity’s Insensitivity
Some parents who pleaded anonymity, lamented the lack of sensitivity on the part of the university authority to the plights of stagnating the students for years.
They lamented that school fees was increased from about N60,000 to over N150,000 and on top of it, were being asked to pay for extra year which the school failed in living up to its expectations.
Investigation also revealed that despite the fact that results of all the students in other departments have been released, that of the department of Medicine are yet to be released.
Some of the parents lamented that the current regime of Prof. Afeyodion Akhator and Prof. Lawrence Omoaghoja as the Dean of the faculty of Medicine and Provost College of Medicine respectfully, has been snail paced and half hazardous in the academic calendar.
Another of the parents who spoke with our correspondent noted that his son who went in, to study Medicine in one of the private universities a year after his elder sister gained admission into DELSU for Medicine has graduated and currently doing his House-job in one of the State’s in the West, his elder sister is yet to commence lectures for 600 Level.
“We learnt that the 300Level students till date have not seen their 100Level 2nd semester results.
“This Development has hindered them from applying for available scholarship opportunities as they all required their 100 Level academic GPA.
“The current 100 level have not seen their first semester results even as they are rounding up their exams for second semester. This is not good for their growth.” One Parent Said.
College Provost, PRO Evasive
The Union Nigeria reached out to the Provost of the College of Health Science, DELSU, Prof. Lawrence Omoaghoja who was evasive in his response.
According to him, he could not comment on the issue. He however, directed that the university’s Public Relations Officer and Registrar be met for reaction to the matter.
He said, “There is channel of communication. Reach out to the Public Relations Officer or the Registrar for their comment on the matter.”
Calls and text messages made to the Public Relations Officer, Mr. Edward Agbure were not answered or responded to.
