-By Yemi Alesh
Students at the College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, have formed a resistance union against the imposition of an astonishingly exorbitant ‘professional training fee’, following the publication of the University’s fees schedules on Tuesday, April 3rd.
In an interview conducted with Mr. Adeyemo Qasim, the Editor-in-chief of Alexander Brown Hall, UCJUI gathered that Alexander Brown Hall has been locked down by students, in agitation against the demand that a special fee, “Professional training fees” of not less than #75,000 be paid by medical students across different levels.
The Editor-in-chief mentioned that the decision to impose unexpected levies on medical training commenced last semester with the introduction of a #7,500 examination fee. When asked if he knew why the management has decided to impose the fee, Mr. Qasim responded that it was in response to a proposal the Provost of the College of Medicine made to the Senate at its meeting on March 20th. The Provost had informed the students about the possibility of changes to fees when he called them them to his office sometime last semester and explained that the federal government has refused to grant subvention on medical professional training. Whereas, it takes the school about #1.6million and #1.2million to train a medical student and a dental student respectively.
At the time of writing this news (13:10 GMT +1), Alexander Brown Hall is under lock and key, while certain prominent members of the University management, including, the Provost and Deputy Provost of the College of Medicine, Dean and Deputy Dean of Students, Hall Warden and her assistants, gather outside the hall, waiting for it to be opened.
