Spread the love
By Stephen Adeleye.
Kogi Government on Friday assured Medical Students of the Kogi State University (KSU) of its resolve to give quick attention to the implementation of the reports of the Medical School Accreditation Committee.
Dr Ahmed Attah, the Special Adviser to Gov. Yahaya Bello on Health Matters, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lokoja, that the reports would receive prompt attention as soon as the memo from the Ministry of Health is presented at State Exco.
Attah stressed that the accreditation would hopefully happen this year.
It would be recalled that Medical Students of the University whose academic careers had been stagnated for five years according to them, stormed the school’s Senate building on Monday to protest Non Accreditation of the Clinical arm of Medical Education and Training.
Attah told NAN that Gov. Bello had set up a committee in December 2016 to look at the processes, procedures and requirements that would enable the Accreditation of the Medical School.
He said that the committee worked assiduously and presented a report to the State Exco, stressing that the governor has been proactive towards solving the issues of non-accreditation.
He added that the governor within the same period approved N10 million for 25 students who were severely stagnated to be farmed out to three Universities for them to continue their medical education, which includes: University of Sokoto, Ebonyi and Ondo State Universities of Medical Sciences.
“So, the governor has been very passionate about this cause and has taken it as his priority to make sure that the medical students do not suffer more than necessary.
“Upon the presentation of the reports of the committee, the governor gave tentative approval for that committee to be transformed into the Implementation Committee.
“He also directed the Ministries of Health and Education to come up with the memo for approval of the amount needed for the implementation of the requirements as presented by the committee.
“So, hearing about the protest at the level of the University by the medical students, the governor mandated the ministry to conduct the spot assessment to ensure peace and quick resolutions of the areas of dispute,’’ Attah said.
Attah further told NAN that they held a stakeholders meeting on Thursday at the University with the Vice Chancellor Prof Mohammed Abdulkadir, members of management of KSU and students’ representatives.
He said the facts presented by management showed that there were procedural breeches by the students in expressing their grievances.
According to him, it was cleared that the students have not been well informed. They were then asked to give verbal apologies and to further submit a written apology to the School Management.
“We believe that after the submission of the written apology, the issue of the directive by the University management asking the students to vacate the campus for two weeks would be revisited, as assured by the Vice Chancellor.
“So we are grateful that the governor has continued to set up these very important processes of resolving crises of this magnitude.
“We believe that the information presented on Thursday to the students by the Management would bring about lasting peace in the school as regards accreditation for Medical Training and Education.
“We should be able to meet up with the November accreditation target, when the required infrastructure will have been put in place and ready for the visit of National University Commission (NUC) and Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN),’’ he said.
Attah, however advised the students to continue to manifest the highest level of discipline, decorum and show faith in actions of the State Government and School Management, saying “we have the students’ best interest at heart,’’
(NAN)
Spread the love
