MEDICAL students of Nigeria’s premier private university, the Igbinedion University, Okada, Saturday disrupted the 8th convocation ceremony of the university.

The students who began the protest on Thursday stormed the institution auditorium, venue of the convocation ceremony, and starting shouting, singing and breaking the glass doors and windows.

Combined security operatives prevented the students from gaining entrance into the institution auditorium.

Policemen had to fire tear gas and several shots to scare away the protesting students.

The students said they were protesting the non-accreditation of their programme and long stay on campus.

Some of them alleged that they had spent up to eight years in the College of Medicine of the institution instead of the normal six years as stated in their admission letters.

They said they were still made to pay extra fees for the additional years. They demanded for a refund from the management.

The protesting students however turned violent as they destroyed some vehicles and properties belonging to the institution.

They also barricaded the school gates, causing heavy traffic.

However, the convocation ceremony which continued amidst tight security was hurriedly conducted. This also affected the giving of prizes the deserving graduates of the institution.

Honorary Doctorate Degrees were conferred on wife of former Nigeria Head of State, Mrs. Victoria Hansatu Gowon, CEO of Bank of Industry, Mrs. Evelyn Oputu, and Air Chief Marshal Paul Dike.

Father of the best graduating student of the institution, Mr. Ade Odunewu, expressed dissatisfaction over the conduct of the students, pointing out that proper security arrangement would have been made.

“My daughter had already prepared her speech and you can see what happened. She was to be given about four prizes today,” he said.

Miss Adeola Temitope Odenuwu was full of tears after the convocation was disrupted but her family members consoled her.

She told The Nation that it was hard work that earned her the first class degree.

Reacting, Vice-Chancellor of the university, Prof. Eghosa Osaghae, blamed the protest on fifth columnists who he said propelled the crisis.

He said they had been dialoguing with the students.

Prof Osaghae said the institution was on the final stage of getting re-accreditation from the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria.

HERE ARE SOME REACTIONS FROM READERS ON THE NATION'S WEBSITE

Emily Maduekwe J on 28/11/2010 01:20:48
There are no fifth columnists in this. This protest was carried out by all and sundry including some of the best brains in the medical school. The medical school is in shambles and we can't let this continue while the university keeps parading herself as something she's not. The VC is an unrepentant and a professional sophist(deceiver) whose conscience is seared with iron. The Dean also (Prof. L.C. Chiedozie) is a hardened idiot who told the final year resiting students(most of them were victimised because they refused to bribe) to pay their 9th sch fees, This is jst a little of what caused the protest!

ola on 28/11/2010 02:02:01
Mr Odunewu dont you think this protest is beyond your daughter's little speech? Why do U open your mouth ignorantly? Moreso Miss Tope should be more intelligent than that if truly the 1st class was well DESERVED?! By being SENSITIVE to the plight of other students STRANDED IN THAT MAZE OF A MEDICAL COLLEGE!!!!!!

Ovoh Oghenejabor on 28/11/2010 03:02:15
It is a sad thing that a university of this magnitude cannot resolve problems with its students amicably. If they are paying for up to 7th, 8th, 9th years for a 6 year programme, then it is fraud. The government should look into this. I wonder why that first class girl was crying knowing fully well that her fellow students have been oppressed all these years. It is a show of irresposibility, selfishness and timidity.

Moses Bawo on 28/11/2010 03:11:05
EFCC should probe the school management and proprietor for using the medical school as an avenue of exploiting desperate Nigerians. In the words of Hon Patrick Obahiagbon, it is regretably lugrious, sadonic, a show of planless planlessness, directionless, directionlessness and above all a symbol of corruption,

Usman Mustapha on 28/11/2010 03:43:39
One thing is certain, these students are not from poor homes, so anything that will make them cry out this loud means that they've really been oppressed. I support Mr Moses that EFCC should probe the VC, the owner and all involved. Cant the government take over the medical school for the time being?

Susan Oliseh on 28/11/2010 05:00:44
Parents are to blame for all this. How come they kept paying for services not rendered to them. I have never seen anywhere in the world where you pay for 2 bottles of coke and you get one. The FG, NUC should probe into this and help these students. They are Nigerians and Nigeria should defend its citizens.

James Akpotowho on 28/11/2010 05:10:38
I think the house of legistlature (senate and parliament) should deliberate on the issue and pass a bill or law to check on private universities generally. If these students did not do this, I wonder how they would have gotten attention. If the school cannot cater for its students, then it should be shut down while the students should all be firmed to other schools.

Daniel Akhuetie on 28/11/2010 05:40:43
this is really shameful

vivian on 28/11/2010 06:11:22
I wonder who gave that little girl a first class because she doesn't deserve it. She should know that those protesting were already students of igbinedion university while she was still in junior secondary so she should SHUT UP! But she is simply her fathers child so y blame her for having no sense!!Meanwhile the VC and dean of clinicals are scammers, they keep telling lies. No accreditation and you are asking people to pay 7th,8th and 9th school fees, the programme is six years and yet d school is exploiting pple,no wonder they are not eager to get the accreditation. We are not even talking about all the monies that the clinical school students have been paying for services they don't receive such as accomodation,lundry,diesel,transport. And these fees have even been increased.They should be ashamed.

anetor osabhuohien on 28/11/2010 07:57:19
What has the Igbinedion ever manage well? Talk of the canada dry soft drink, okada air line,tv and radio. governance of edo state for 8 years etc.Blame our Government that killed education. private schools and private churches are frauds, they are one man business,

lench on 28/11/2010 08:28:11
Honestly speaking a divine intervention's needed to curb those so called self centered, heartless beings camouflaging under the names of chancellor,vice chancellors n Deans. This is very unfair

dr tom on 28/11/2010 08:30:56
this is wickedness of the highest order. pls hear our cry, efcc should come and probe the vc and the dean of medicine.
they are embezzling our money. how can we be paying school two times

Sylvester on 28/11/2010 08:36:48
I must say that the biggest disappointment of the day was Mr Odenuwu. He's a parent, does he think he's daughter who just spent 4yrs is better than these med students who have stayed way past their allotted 6yrs due to no fault of theirs. He shld av bn more sensitive. He's daughter is still a baby(20yrs at most) so I don't expect her to be anything but selfish. This is not the first protest bn held in dat skul, all the others av gone unnoticed and without results. These students are not insensitive, dey just needed to be heard and I guess they finally were. These children av payed close to million every year in skul fees, they don't get their money's worth and u accuse them of complaining. How wld d 'happy father' had felt if he had bn told his daughter wasn't going to spend an extra year, the school's fault and he had to pay the extra money.I hrd some of the students have bn arrested. The EFCC shld pls look into d matter. Its bn fraud all the way since 1999

MORE . . . .


lilly on 28/11/2010 08:59:22
How sad!!!!my alma mater has become this belittled.well u first class little girl,shut up!!!!As for the school,I wish them the very best n I think the FGN,NUC and MDCN ought to intervene.sorry children of the "rich",its the vicious cycle of corruption our leaders n some of your parents caused

on 28/11/2010 12:36:43
I pity igbinedion. A year where d school fees was increased by nearly hundred percent, this is now where u see withdrawal of accreditation, lack of basic amenities like light, teachers goin on strike for lack of payment of 6months salary, and then you hear that igbinedion is celebrating his birthday for up to a month, contrbuting monies to irrelevant ventures so as to gain popularity. If d lecturers complain, he tells dem to go to hell.IGBINEDION UNIVERSITY is on the verge of collapse. BEWARE.

M.I on 28/11/2010 14:11:37
Well,it was tha worst convocation eva, Its a sch endowed wit washing, And tope odunewu adetula was tha mvp.I feel pity for them meds student chief igbinedion surely deserves d disgrace,

adelaja on 28/11/2010 15:16:22
An honorary doctorate for urai Yar'Adua?
The award does violence to honour and to the doctoral degree itself. But then, what else can one expect from any institution or individual stamped with the Igbinedion brand?

"Medical students vandalizing", what happens when you push a goat to the wall

Immediately after the convocation, Igbinedion out of obvious frustration, sent mobile policemen to the hostels of medical students most of who reside in Benin. As at press time, i cant say if any of them was arrested.


More updates soon

Igbinedion's continue to disgrace their name.

Why set up a medical school if you don't know whether you can get it accredited within half a decade or keep it accredited? On the one hand I respect them for trying to have a medical school and on the other hand I'm disgusted at what these students have had to go through. The accreditation problem surely isn't one of quality because G. Igbinedion should still have enough money left to finance whatever is lacking in quality (personnel, instruments, facilities). Maybe he is reluctant to do so, however. If it is a problem of quality, then the university is being severely mismanaged.

Also at the event of the 8th Convocation ceremony of Igbinedion University Okada, angry community members came out chanting "Igbinedion thief, Ole, 419, give us our land, our money". They were also throwing stone at the venue of the event. Sooner, the event was over. What a pity.


The annoying thing is that no media house; print or electronic reported this, except for 'The Nation' which reported only that of the students. Talking about buying the media, yeah, Igbinedion is Grand Patron to NUJ, Edo State.

And private universities were supposed to be better than Nigerian public universities? Teachers not paid for six months at a private university? Coming from a private institution, I am shocked.