Dozens of University of Jos (UNIJOS) dental students on Wednesday staged a protest over the non-accreditation of their programme, which has left many of them trapped in school for more than a decade without graduating.
The aggrieved students gathered at the university’s Permanent Site, blocking the main gate while chanting solidarity songs and displaying placards with inscriptions such as “Save us from unending depression,” “Our future is on hold,” “Accredit us now,” and “We are tired of UNIJOS.”
Speaking on behalf of the protesters, President of the Jos University Dental Students Association, Mr. Johnson Titus, called on the university authorities to urgently address their plight and bring an end to their prolonged academic stagnation.
He said, “What you see behind me is the frustration of dental students who have been in the university for the past ten years without graduating. We have been stagnating because of the non-accreditation of our programme.”
According to Titus, the students are demanding that management take immediate steps to secure accreditation and resolve curriculum-related issues delaying their progress.
“The students are calling on the university management and relevant authorities to come forth and address their issues, which include getting a date for accreditation and resolving the curriculum problems,” he added.
The student leader also faulted the university for admitting students into an unaccredited programme without prior disclosure.
“Nobody should blame us because if the university is going to do screening and admission, they don’t usually inform students that there is no accreditation for the affected programme,” he said.
*“The University of Jos did not inform anyone that there is no accreditation for the dental courses, for which they admitted us. If we had known, we probably wouldn’t have applied for the course.
“And also, if the university knew that there is no accreditation, why would they put Dentistry on their website for students to apply for admission. We feel the university is still at fault for the situation we have found ourselves.”*
Another student, Nwike Pius, accused the university of insincerity, saying management has given conflicting information regarding the accreditation status.
*“The school has not been sincere with us because we hear a different story from them, and when we confirm, we hear a different story from the Council.
“The students have tried to reach out to the Vice Chancellor, but their efforts have been met with silence,”* he said.
Although Prof. Chris Piwuna, the Dean of Student Affairs, was unavailable for comment, a source close to Vice Chancellor Prof. Tanko Ishaya disclosed that the university is taking steps to resolve the issue.
The source explained that UNIJOS had recently initiated ₦800 million capital projects, including the procurement of modern dental equipment, and that the Provost and senior faculty members had met with the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN) to secure an accreditation date.
*“I don’t know why the students chose this day to protest because the university management is doing something to address their issue.
“I know their matter has lingered, but as I’m talking with you, the university has opened bidding for N800m capital projects, including the purchase of their equipment.
“The bid was opened just last week. On the issue of accreditation, just last week, the Provost and senior people in the faculty met with the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria to get a date for the accreditation of their programme. What else do they want?”* the source said.
Despite these assurances, the students have vowed to continue their protest at the university gate until concrete actions are taken to resolve their decade-long academic stagnation.
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