Nigeria Content Online

The tension generated by the alleged de-accreditation
of the Medical and Dental courses in the University of Benin (UNIBEN)
by the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria appears to have died down,
as normal activities resumed at the Ugbowo campus of the university
yesterday.

Thousands of students of the higher institution had
taken to the ever busy Ugbowo/Lagos Road on Tuesday to protest the
de-accreditation of the said courses, thereby, disrupting vehicular and
human movement for several hours.

A visit to the campus showed that academic activities
were in full flow. Students were seen receiving lectures in several
lecture halls, while administrative offices were also full of activity.
The famous Akin Deko Hall was full to capacity, as it played host to a
memorial lecture organized by the university.

Still apprehensive

Some of the students directly affected by the
de-accreditation were, however, still apprehensive about their fate,
although they refused to be identified.

A female final year dentistry student said she could
not imagine not been able to get her certificate after going through
all the stress of studying. She appealed to the school authority to
expedite action to meet with the requirement of the regulatory council
in order to resolve the issue.

Another final year medical student also expressed
concern, should the Medical and Dental council of Nigeria decide not to
rescind their decision.

“Just think of it, I am already seeing myself as a
medical doctor. That is the dream of many of us. But to hear that the
dream is suddenly dashed, it’s suicidal, my brother. They should rather
kill us physically than killing our dreams,” he said.

It thus appears that the atmosphere could be best
described as uneasy calm, pending the outcome of the meeting of the
Vice Chancellor of UNIBEN with management of the Nigerian Medical and
Dental Council of Nigeria, in Abuja, as some of the students are
threatening to go back to the streets if things are not formalized.

A visit to the public relations officer of the school, Osaze
Osarenren, to obtain his comment yielded no result, as he was attending
a meeting with the vice chancellor. Calls to his phone were not
answered either.