By Erharuyi A. Joe
The Edo State Governor, Sen. Monday Okpebholo, has assured that his administration will investigate circumstances surrounding the delay of the 2015 Set of medical students of the Ambrose Alli University (AAU), Ekpoma from being inducted, months after graduation.
Governor Okpebholo gave the assurance to resolve the lingering delay at the earliest opportunity when he had audience with the aggrieved medical students at the Institution’s Gate in Ekpoma, during a brief stopover on his way from Irrua.
Speaking to newsmen after the engagement with the graduates, who had spent 10 years in the Medical School, the Governor said he felt their pains as a father, and assured them that he will invite the acting Vice Chancellor to discuss the way forward.
He stressed that his administration wants the best for Edo citizens, including the protesting medical students. He urged them to be patient while the issues are being resolved in earnest.
Spokesperson for the students, Precious Omohegbele, said she and her colleagues had spent 10 years in the medical school and graduated since August, 2024, but have not been inducted. She appealed to the Governor to step in and help resolve the crisis to ensure that the 2015 Medical Set of AAU gets inducted to enable them to go for their Housemanship.
“We are the 2015 Set of medical students of AAU, and we are medical graduates now. We graduated on August 15, 2024, and have spent five months at home, and we have not been inducted. We ought to be halfway into our house training by now.
“There might be problems hindering our induction, but we cannot keep waiting as we have already spent 10 years in medical school (2015-2025). We are appealing to Your Excellency to save us from this situation. You are the only person we can appeal to at this point to help resolve these challenges facing us. It would be unfair for 167 of us to remain at home after 10 years of training as we are not growing younger each passing day, Omohegbele concluded.
In a statement signed by the Chief Press Secretary to the Edo State Governor, Fred Itua, which reads in part, “Under the watch of the former Governor Godwin Obaseki, the State-owned university had suffered many challenges ranging from lack of funding, failure to attract investments and partnership to the University, none payment of workers’ salaries, failure to implement the national minimum wage, support for structural growth as well as non-accreditation of courses, among others.
“Instead of addressing the existential challenges, the then administration inaugurated a Special Intervention Team (SIT), led by some of their political friends, who embarked on witch-hunting, sacking lecturers, hiking tuition fees and causing more problems.
“It was under the same administration that university unions, including the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Congress of University Academics (CONUA), Senior Staff Association of Nigeria University (SSANU), National Association of Academic Technologist (NAAT) and None Academic Staff Union of University (NASUU), serially embarked on strikes due to unpaid salaries, unfriendly policies, appointment of Acting Vice Chancellor for the university and other governance issues.
“However, in a bold move to reposition the School, Governor Okpebholo, upon assumption of office, directed the immediate reinstatement of all AAU staff who were dismissed in March 2023. The lecturers were reportedly dismissed for protesting against unfavourable labour practices, including the non-payment of their salaries and other outstanding entitlements”.
