By Amos Aar
MEDICAL students of the Benue State University BSU), Makurdi on Wednesday embarked on a peaceful protest to Government House, Makurdi against alleged poor attention to their welfare by the university authority.
This is even as the Benue State Police Command issued a warning last Sunday that protest by any group be put on hold because of the fragile security situation in the state.
The students, who converged on the gate of the Government House as early as 7am to tender their grievances, however did not see the governor to address them according to one of them who pleaded anonymity for fear of retribution.
President of the Medical Students Association, Tavershima Imenger, presented their grievances to include inadequate hostel accommodation, unjustified withdrawal of some of their colleagues and indiscriminate introduction of prospectus, water scarcity, among others.
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Addressing the students on behalf of Governor Hyacinth Alia, Chief of Staff to the Governor, Mr Paul Biam, promised that additional hostels would be built at BSU to ease accommodation problem faced by medical students and would address all other issues presented.
Reacting to the protest, BSU Vice Chancellor, Prof. Joe Iorpuu, described the protest as avoidable, pointing out that the university’s authority had set up a committee that was already looking into the issues and was set to submit its report.
“I want to believe that they will be responsible. They have listened to the chief of staff and we expect them to be truly responsible,” Prof Iorpuu said.
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However, a student who spoke on condition of anonymity said they have exhausted all avenues and that’s why they proceeded to Government House to interface with the governor. “We have presented our grievances to the provost, College of Health Sciences, Mr Linus Chia, but he has not looked into it. So, we tendered our grievances to the top management of the university but they have not responded to it. That’s why we matched today to come and see the governor,” he explained.
