Rotten state of IMSUTH under Okorocha, APC

...students decry deaccreditation, elongation of duration of stay, management's inhumanity, workers protest non-payment of salaries

In December 2016, the report of the accreditation exercise carried out by the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria in Imo state university medical college was released and it stated that the pathology department of medicine and surgery, Imo State University failed the accreditation and thus, the students were banned from writing any 3rd MBBS examination in IMSUTH until all the requirements listed by MDCN were fulfilled, after which the faculty would re-invite the MDCN in six months time for a reaccreditation exercise, but unfortunately enough, after ten months ever since the report was delivered to IMSUTH, nothing positive has been done about it.

On the 9th day of October, 2017, the medical students started an indefinite peaceful protest demanding that things be put in place and the date for the re-accreditation exercise be fixed. The students resolved that until the accreditation team is re-invited and the reaccreditation exercise carried out, that they would shun all academic activites as well as continue their protests as they made it clear to both the university management, the medical college management and the teaching hospital management that no promises would be entertained this time around as all they needed was to see things being done and not empty promises. The students were seen marching round the teaching hospital and the classroom blocks, chanting songs and carrying placards expressing their dissatisfactions over the non-chalant attitude of their provost in the person of Prof. B.U Ezem whom they claimed was more of a ghost worker and the Dean, Faculty of Medicine, Dr. Diwe. The provost, dean and lecturers were nowhere to be seen as they had a prior knowledge of the protest and all avoided IMSUTH, rather,they were in their hideouts putting calls across to the medical students' association executives threatening the students to call off the protest which would expose their inhuman activities in frustrating the medical students or face their wrath. The medical students carried out their peaceful protests within the confines of the medical college, Orlu campus, the administrative block of AA and as well as the Imo State University Teaching Hospital itself and have vowed to continue with their protests until the management meets all their demands.

The Chief Medical Director of IMSUTH, Dr. Frederick Anolue, who was in his office came out to address the students and pleaded that the students give them 48 hours to put everything in place but the students remained resolved in continuing with their protests until all promises were fulfilled.

Speaking with a medical student who pleaded anonymity, she made it known that "in a medical school, a student is meant to spend six years, but in IMSUTH, they spend ten years against the six years and with the current decline, it has degenerated to between eleven and twelve years just to get a degree". She further stated that "students normally write their 3rd MBBS professional exams towards the end of their fourth year in medical school but in IMSUTH, currently, the 3rd MBBS examination candidates are in their 8th year, yet, no sign of their 3rd MBBS examinations coming forth". She also made it known "that they still have their fourth and fifth MBBS professional examinations to write before they graduate as doctors".

Speaking with another medical student who also pleaded anonymity, he stated that "currently, they have four different (sets) being held to ransom by the loss of accreditation in that 3rd MBBS class as those in their 5th, 6th, 7th and 8th years in IMSUTH medical school are all in line waiting to write their 3rd MBBS examinations while those in their 3rd and 4th years in IMSUTH medical school are yet to write their 2nd MBBS professional exams before coming over to join the backlog. Only One, third MBBS examination is written each year", he said.

The medical students are calling on everyone to help them salvage their future as they have vowed to remain unrepentant with their protests this time around until the accreditation team is re-invited and full accreditation regained.

ReAccreditation of Courses could have been effected witht 1/10th of money used by Gov Okorocha in building a flyover in Owerri to boost his presidential ambition.

Students need to bear Okorocha till May 2019.

No placard can change his approach to IMSUTH.

But the dirt Okorocha piles on IMSUTH shall also be deposited on his university in his hometown, if he does not take time.

Because Okorocha wants to fully own Eastern Palm University in his Ideator lga hometown, by trading IMSUTH with Owerri, that is reason why Okorocha started since 2012 to scrape roads leading to IMSUTH, owed doctors arrears of salaries to make them leave, denied lighting up IMSUTH at night, etc.