Ui Ejects Medical Students Via Unofficial, Undated Letter

Posted by: giftfumi in News Apr 9, 2018

Students of the College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, have noted that a letter asking them to vacate their hostels before 12 n00n on Sunday was neither signed by the new registrar of the institution nor written on the school’s letterhead.

They also noted that the letter had no date.

The students, via the said letter, were ordered to leave their hostels after they staged a protest against what they described as “unfair introduction of professional training fee” by the school authority.

The students claimed that the fee, coupled with new increase in accommodation fee, was capable of making some of them abandon their medical training.

They said the school authority recently introduced the professional fee, ranging from N75,000 to N100,000 per student; while accommodation fee in the school’s halls of residence was raised to N30,000 per student.

At the Alexander Brown Hall, University College Hospital, Ibadan, the students were seen leaving the hostel on Sunday as a result of a directive from the school that they should vacate the hostel after staging a protest against the new fees.

The letter, which was signed by the school registrar, Olujinmi Olukoya, said the Academic Board of the College of Medicine, UI, considered the possible security threat that the students’ agitation against the new fees could pose and recommended the hostel closure.

The letter said that the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Idowu Olayinka, had approved the board recommendation and directed that the students leave the hostel before 12 noon on Sunday.

However, a letter signed by the president of the medical students association in the school, Olakorede Jacob, and the general secretary, Yahya Bashir, frowned at the letter of closure of the hostel, saying that it was not written on a letterhead of the institution or dated.

They also claimed that the letter was not signed by the new registrar, Mrs. Olubunmi Faluyi.

When contacted, the Director of Public Communication, Mr. Olatunji Oladejo, confirmed that the students had been ordered by a letter from the registrar to vacate the hostel pending review of the situation.

While addressing the issue raised by the students on the signing of the letter, Oladejo said that the new registrar, Mrs. Faluyi, would assume office on Monday.