Imo Varsity Students Protest Poor Academic Condition

Medical students of the Imo state University, on Thursday, took to the
major streets of Owerri, the state capital, in protest of
deteriorating quality of medical training in the university.

The protesting students numbering over 700, clad in their laboratory
coats, took the state capital by storm, blocking all the major roads
and brandishing placards with different inscriptions.

The aggrieved students, under the aegis of Imo state University
Medical Students Association (IMSUMSA), stated that it takes an upward
of 10 years instead of six for a medical student to graduate from the
university as a result of poor facilities, inadequate funding and
unrealistic education policies.

The demonstrating students noted that there is no hope of retaining
MDCN accreditation by the end of this year due to inadequate number of
doctors and lecturers.

A student, who pleaded anonymity said, "I have spent 12 years in
medical school yet have not been able to graduate from the Imo State
University Teaching Hospital (IMSUTH) due to unprofessional policies
and inadequate medical personnel and facilities for training. When I
gained admission to study medicine at IMSU, my kid brother was in
primary three, now he is in the University and I am yet to graduate.
This is frustrating and unhealthy for the medical profession."

The students, who regretted that their professional examination was
abruptly stopped and their training halted because of the current
strike embarked upon by doctors of the teaching hospital, noted that
no patient has been admitted into the hospital since July, 2015.

A statement by the protesting students read in part: "We do not have
enough lecturers, yet the ones we have are resigning en masse due to
poor remunerations. We do not have class rooms; 10 levels of medical
students and five levels of nursing students share only four
classrooms. Students' accommodations are few and very poor, leaving
medical students at the mercy of the villagers. "

Some of the placards displayed by the students read: "Our parents are
tired. 10 years not 10 days." Okorocha is killing University education
in Imo. #SaveIMSUTH"; "Our accreditation is at risk. #SaveIMSUTH.

"Imo state University is presently on the brink of collapse as more
than five faculties of the University have lost their accreditation in
a state that claims to be running a free education programme up to
University level."

The aggrieved students blocked entrance leading to Government House
and were latter dispersed by armed police men.

-DailyTimes