By Amos Aar
MEDICAL students of the Federal University of Health Sciences, Otukpo (FUHSO), Benue State, are in limbo due to endless delays in securing accreditation from the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN) have stalled their academic progression now for almost three academic sessions.
The students, investigations by National Record indicate, are under intense frustration that they are stranded midway in their studies with little or no hope of resumption soon.
Established in 2021 as one of the pioneer universities of health sciences in Nigeria, FUHSO was envisioned to produce skilled medical and health professionals. But three years into their academic journey, students who were expected to have progressed to clinical training are idling away at home, with no sign that the much-awaited MDCN accreditation will happen soon.
Sources within the institution revealed that the pioneer medical students, who should have written their first MB examination last year, have remained in limbo. Another set of 300-level students, who recently completed their in-course examinations, have also joined the seemingly interminable queue.
The situation, according to unimpeachable sources, has created tension and frustration for both students and their parents, including those in lower levels now facing disturbing uncertainty on whether the institution is sustainable.
“The pioneer set has been waiting for the MB exam for over one academic session now. The second set just finished their in-course exams and are also now waiting.
“We initially knew the school had a 100-student quota per session, but there are talks that both sets may have to take the MB exam together if the MDCN finally visits,” a concerned student told National Record, pleading anonymity for fear of victimisation.
The student added that apart from the delayed accreditation, FUHSO faces serious infrastructural and welfare challenges. Most students, the source said, live in hired hostels, mainly hotels converted into student lodges, scattered across Otukpo Town, with irregular transportation and water supply.
“For two weeks now, there’s been no water in some hostels. The school depends on tankers for water, and sometimes we’re told there’s no fuel or the tanker broke down. Some hostels are bushy for months, and reptiles have invaded them,” the student lamented.
The university currently operates from a temporary take-off site, while construction at the permanent campus drags.
The Otukpo General Hospital, which was designated as FUHSO’s teaching hospital for clinical phase of studies by the administration of former Governor Samuel Ortom, is yet to be upgraded to meet MDCN’s requirements for clinical training.
Students said the medical laboratories and other essential facilities in the hospital are dilapidated and far below standard.
“I heard MDCN gave conditions for accreditation, especially on equipping the medical labs and upgrading hospital structures, but those things are not in place yet,” another source told National Record.
Our findings also indicate that the leadership crisis that rocked FUHSO during the tenure of its pioneer Vice Chancellor, Professor Innocent Ujah, also contributed to the delays.
Barely two weeks before the end of his tenure, Prof Ujah was allegedly impeached by the university’s management. He was, however, reinstated by the Federal Ministry of Education and the Presidency to complete his term.
Upon his reinstatement, Prof. Ujah appointed a principal officer as Acting Vice Chancellor, which triggered further controversy as the Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academic), who was next in line, opposed the decision.
The crisis deepened when both men laid claim to the office, creating months of administrative confusion.
Our findings indicate that during the five years of Prof. Ujah’s leadership of FUHSO, no accreditation visit was conducted by either the National Universities Commission (NUC) or the MDCN.
But following his exit, an Acting Vice Chancellor, Prof. Stephen Obekpa Abah,was said to have succeeded in bringing in the NUC accreditation team, which granted full accreditation to FUHSO’s academic programmes some six months ago.
A new substantive Vice Chancellor, Prof. Francis Aba Uba, along with other principal officers, were appointed in May following a national recruitment process. The new administration reportedly met an empty treasury and has struggled to address the institution’s financial and infrastructural deficiencies.
Despite these challenges, students say they have remained patient, hoping for government intervention to save their academic future.
“Some of us are getting older before graduation. We’ve paid huge fees and endured poor conditions, yet we remain at home. Do we deserve this?” a student asked bitterly.
Another student told National Record that recently, some students, in a meeting with the new vice chancellor, were assured that efforts were in top gear to get the students to commence the clinical training phase.
The vice chancellor was said to have pleaded with the students to exercise patience and give him at least six months, which technically would be around February to March 2026.
Investigations showed that while FUHSO students remain stranded, the Federal University of Health Sciences, Azare, which was established a year after FUHSO, has since commenced clinical training.
Knowledge of this comparison further fuelled frustration among FUHSO students, who now question whether their stagnation is due to poor management or inadequate government funding.
When contacted to clarify the status of MDCN accreditation, the readiness of the teaching hospital, and how management is addressing students’ welfare concerns, the Head of Information, Publications and Public Relations of FUHSO, Mr. James Onogwu, declined to comment, and instead challenged this reporter that if he indeed he wants information, he should come down to the campus.
For now, the hope of FUHSO’s pioneer medical students, and those following behind, hangs in the balance, as they continue to wait for the accreditation that will determine their future as medical professionals.
