Not a single set of students have graduated from the department of Dentistry at the University of Jos (UniJos), Plateau state since its establishment in 2015.
The department has reportedly failed to earn an accreditation from the professional body of the Nigerian Dental Association, WikkiTimes gathered.
This has left about 80 students stranded for over 9 years without taking their professional exams as Dentists.
One of the students who spoke on condition of anonymity to WikkiTimes on Monday, April 15th 2024 revealed that students become stuck during their 5th year in the college because the department lacks the adequate manpower to teach students.
According to him, the school has also failed to renew its license with the National Universities Commission NUC, which has further aggravated their plights.
He said: “It is frustrating that we have to go through years of studies only to get stuck at the end because of the indifference of the school management.
“I cannot tell you the number of times we have delegated some of our colleagues to meet the relevant authorities to see how we can address this matter, yet no positive feedback.
“The only thing we have been told severally is that they will do something about it. We have met the school Dean, Provost, Vice Chancellor and even the Chancellor but nothing has been done.”
To further appeal their matter, the students carried out a peaceful protest on Monday morning, begging the institution to either get the accreditation or merge them with the department of medicine and surgery to enable their graduation.
Speaking to WikkiTimes, President of the UniJos Dental Association Of Nigeria, Micheal Agbaseni who expressed his displeasure over the matter, said the students have been pushed to protest for what is rightly theirs.
He decried the bad economic state of the country, saying it is saddening that they have to keep spending time and resources to remain in school yet the school is not concerned.
“It is actually depressing. I can tell you that most of us are currently in a terrible mental state right now. We have petitioned and petitioned. Even to the National Assembly but to no avail.
“We are now being forced to go protesting on the streets. This is unfair. We are calling on the school management to do the needful as we have wasted too much of our time,” he said.
Several attempts to reach out to the school management proved abortive as calls placed across were unattended to.
