Some medical students of the University of Lagos, Akoka,
who were given courses contrary to their choices, have threatened to take the institution to court if it fails to reverse its decision within seven days, starting from Wednesday, February 17.

They said they had petitioned the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Rahman Bello, the Federal Ministry of Education, the Senate Committee on Education, the National Universities Commission, the Lagos State Governor, Akinwumi Ambode, among others, on the development, saying they wanted
favourable response before the ultimatum elapsed.

The students had reportedly met the pass mark set by UNILAG for them to move to 200 level, but most of them
were not admitted into the College of Medicine in Idi-Araba on the grounds that the quota given to the school was not sufficient.

Some of the students and their parents on Thursday protested against the development at PUNCH Place on the
Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, displaying placards, some of which read, “JAMB, NUC, please save our future, save our career, save our destiny, come to our aid,” “This scam must stop, we want our courses at the college of medicine”, “Prof. Rahman Bello, you are a Pharaoh, allow our children to cross to the promised college.”

The petition, which was signed by the principal solicitor for the aggrieved students, Jiti Ogunye, read in part, “We are solicitors to the students of the Faculty of Sciences in the University of Lagos, Akoka, Yaba, Lagos State.

“By their performances in their first year course work and examinations, they met the requirements by having a
Cumulative Grade Point Average or cumulative score average of 50 in the groupings of courses for the Medicine
and Surgery, Medical Laboratory, Nursing, and Physiotherapy departments; and a 2.00 CGPA for students in Pharmacology, Physiology and Radiography departments to advance to 200 level and first year in the UNILAG College of Medicine.”

The petition stated further that the school had raised the requirements from 50 per cent and 2.0 CGPA to between 2.5 and 4.11 CGPA after the students had met the initial standards.

“We demand that the university rescind its decision by allowing our clients to register for the various medical programmes in the College of Medicine and commence attendance of classes. If the university fails or refuses to accede to our demand within seven days of the delivery of
this letter, we shall not hesitate to initiate a legal action against the University of Lagos in the Federal High Court, Ikoyi, for the judicial review of the administrative action.”

One of the students, Emmanuel Adebiyi, who wanted to study medicine, said he could not settle for pharmacology, which he was given by the school. He said, “I got 56, 58 and 72 in the three required courses, but I could not advance to 200 level to further my education as a medical student. We are being denied our rights. We appealed to the President to look into this. I was given Pharmacology, which I did not bargain for.”

A Medical Laboratory student, Samuel Sodipe, said he was eventually offered Botany, “which I don’t like.”

Evelyn Ajisafe said the decision of the school had caused “disorientation” of the affected students, adding that they
could not study what they did not apply for.

“At the end of my 100 level, I had 3.9 CGPA, which is above the 2.00 required by the school. I had already bought some materials for the college of medicine. But when the list came out, 19 out of 49 students were selected. I was among those that met the requirements, but not shortlisted. The university said there was a specific quota which we were not told about from the beginning. I want the school authorities to give us our normal courses. We are psychologically disturbed.”

One of the parents, who gave his name simply as Otunba Afolabi, said the claim by the VC that the affected students failed “is a blatant lie.”

“I have been having sleepless nights since this issue started. The school is trying to destroy the destiny of these children. I wanted my daughter to study Agriculture, but she insisted
that she wanted nursing. She tried her best and met the criteria – she had 60, 53 and 58. She had been receiving
lectures when the list came out and her name was not there,” he added.

The UNILAG spokesperson, Toyin Adebule, could not be reached for comment as his line rang out. A text message sent to his mobile phone had yet to be replied to as of time of filing this report.


www.punchng.com/students-sue-unilag-changing-courses/

READ MORE: www.divineloveudorji..co.ke/2016/02/unilag-students-to-sue-school-authority.html?m=1

Futile even from the start, though the students should have been carried along and persuaded to accept the changes.

Unilag and nonsense. This should make front page

Destined2win:
Futile even from the start, though the students should have been carried along and persuaded to accept the changes.

Why do you think it's futile?

I doubt if the court can revert unilag's decision. The only thing i think unilag can do is to transfer them to other faculties because they too wouldn't want to lose their accreditation.

What!!!! Na for moscow abi na the naija way I know this one wan happen?

its quite frustrating to b denied of ur chosen course of study. while proceeding with d legal procedure it ll b rather wise not to lay ur eggs in one basket. write another jamb, try other universities. hustling 4 admission into medicine n other paramedics n eventually graduating from them ain't a bed of roses.

To qain admission na war.

to qet job after sch na serious war.

9ja which way?

Everyone must not do medicine.... Ask Dangote


Modified: my parents almost forced medicine down my throat when I was growing up. But deep down, I had a passion to Fly. I couldn't imagine Sitting in All day in a hospital. As a matter of fact, all year in a hospital. Infact, all of my life in a hospital....... Nope!
I wanted to Fly, I wanted to Tour the world, I wanted to Be a pilot . But unfortunately the most expensive course to study in Nigeria is piloting my parents were dead broke and at that, they were the richest among their relatives, so you can imagine how poor my whole family tree was there was practically no uncle nor aunt to sponsor my dream.
I wanted to Fly. I really wanted to. But there was just no way I could get into an aviation school.

But now my dream is different.
I now want to be a physicist. A renowned physicist at that
I want to study Forces and Motions and Vibrations and optics and Atoms and Waves and electricity and everything there is ...
Oh lawd I'm in love with physics!
But any how it goes. I must Fly someday
It May not necessarily be as a pilot. .... even if na passenger I be as far as say Fly na Fly

I feel sorry for them, but i doubt if the court can do anything. It happens everywhere, even in AAU where i graduated. They over admit students in 100level and subsequently continue to change the criteria to eliminate students, wether they fail or not. It often ends in frustration for the students. If these ones succeed in court, the floodgates may open on other Universities.

Haba V. C...free dn na

this only happens in Nigeria and it must stop,I remember applying for Law in Uniben 3years ago and i was given Foreign languages instead even though i passed law cut off mark of 70 by 3 marks and a girl with whom i wrote together got 68 and was given law becos of stupid connections that is killing this country

I'm pretty sure Unilag reserves the right to offer you admission into any course of its choice and not the other way around.

The students also have the right to reject the offer.

The lawyer is misleading them for his personal gain.

The writer above has said it all, you want to sue school. What if dey don't gve u admission.
Randanranda

tosyne2much:
In Nigerian, if the govt does not change your destiny, JAMB will definitely do that


Now, Unilag wants to change the destiny of these poor young men.. Oga oooo

seconded

uhmmmmm....course wey some dey find

If you can't meet the 2.5/5 target, are you sure you'll scape through medicine at the end?

This is serious!

Elxandre:
If you can't meet the 2.5/5 target, are you sure you'll scape through medicine at the end?

Yes they can survive, i've seen someone that had exactly 2.00 CGPA in her first year and still end up graduating with distinction..

why all deez ranting when 1$=400#

Many of u guys are gonna still drop out b4 cos the school will definitely increase the school fees...if 1$=1000# your school fees will be *5..and its already *2 presently...

Buhari waz all deezz

ASHAKA1:
this only happens in Nigeria and it must stop,I remember applying for Law in Uniben 3years ago and i was given Foreign languages instead even though i passed law cut off mark of 70 by 3 marks and a girl with whom i wrote together got 68 and was given law becos of stupid connections that is killing this country

did u just say Uniben?
Oboy uniben na destiny changer o...
A friend applied for law and her score was 79 and we were already congratulating her...asin this girl read hard for that course...she was so determined but was given foreign language, she almost fainted..and another playful girl who scored 60 through wuru wuru method got the Law....
My best man scored 65- mec engineering but was given environmental survey maybe because of his name Geome...

Agreement na agreement. 2.0 CGPA to study med $ surg too small oo to say d truth. It should be like 3.5 and above since they have quota.

And who told you tha medicine is their destiny

tosyne2much:
In Nigerian, if the govt does not change your destiny, JAMB will definitely do that


Now, Unilag wants to change the destiny of these poor young men.. Oga oooo

And i 've been seeking admission to study anything since 2004

Elxandre:
If you can't meet the 2.5/5 target, are you sure you'll scape through medicine at the end?

can u read at all?
the students protesting got over 2.5 but didn't meet up to 4.11 in which they never expected

osjoshua:

did u just say Uniben?
Oboy uniben na destiny changer o...
A friend applied for law and her score was 79 and we were already congratulating her...asin this girl read hard for that course...she was so determined but was given foreign language, she almost fainted..and another playful girl who scored 60 through wuru wuru method got the Law....
My best man scored 65- mec engineering but was given environmental survey maybe because of his name Geome...

Hahaha definitely it's because of the name

some people here will be talking like "must everyone be a doctor?" its better you weren't offered the course from inception than changing it halfway. so bad for Nigeria educational system

Deo1986:
And i 've been seeking admission to study anything since 2004

R u for real??