SAHARA REPORTERS
The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), has given the Federal University of Technology, Akure (FUTA) 72 hours to sack the school’s Medical Director and fix the institution’s health centre after the death of a 500 Level student of the university, Akeredolu Clinton Ayomide.
The students’ body, which also called for mass action, blamed Ayomide’s death on negligence and incompetence by the school management and its medical centre, saying that the student’s death was preventable.
According to NANS, “An injury to one is an injury to all and an injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. Time and health are two precious assets that we don’t recognize and appreciate until they have been depleted.”
The NANS in a statement by its Vice President, Akinteye Babatunde Afeez, described the death of the student as a rude shock which words cannot express how disheartening the association is as a body whose sole and objective is to see to the welfare of Nigerian students.
The students association said that “It is rather unfortunate and sardonic because this irreplaceable loss, ugly event and sour occurrence was avertable and avoidable.
“We are perplexed and disturbed that an ugly scenario of this nature was not happening for the first time and the management of the institution (FUTA) alongside the health care unit are not seeing the need for our an end to this disastrous passing on of our students.
“Our hearts are cold at this hour as we grieve for the deceased it is no doubt a dark moment for us as Nigerian students. To our greatest dismay, having made thorough and proper close examination, we have come to the realisation that FUTA health care center, a supposed teaching hospital is nothing to write home about with poor facilities that cannot save lives or meet immediate and emergencies.
“It is also on record that as at when the deceased was rushed down to the school health center there was power outage and students had to use the flashlights to enable the oxygen setups and injections.
“There is no backup power supply at the institution’s health care center that’s supposed to run for 24 hours and 7 days weekly.
“This is worrisome and only shows the negligence of the institution towards adequate healthcare.
“To mention a few, taking aback, it is also on record that before the ugly incident that took the life of Clinton, the former Vice President of the union (FUTASU) who was in a critical condition was rushed down to the school clinic for emergency treatment and all that mattered to the Health Center Director is school ID card at a point that the paramount was to save a dying soul, this is inhumane act at its peak and must be frowned at in its totality.
“It is also displeasing that the health center no longer gives drugs to students as they don’t have any to give even with NHIS, they’ll rather write prescriptions for students to get off campus.
“Regrettably, many a times when students in their numbers try to condemn this negligence, the health center Director would rather threaten them to do their worst, this is absolutely callous and inhumane.
“We are also aware of the demise of an international student that was swept under the carpet and was never talked about by the management of this institution due to lack of proper health care system hence it beckons on us to at this juncture seek for Justice and put an end to the unending loss of our students.
“To this effect, in solidarity, the leadership of National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) calls for a mass action against this inhumane and callous act demanding for the resignation of the healthcare Director/his suspension is effected and for the management of FUTA to properly and effectively equip the University’s health center in the next 72 hours to averting further occurrence.
“Consequently, we beckon on the Zonal Structure of NANS (Southwest) and Ondo JCC to prepare for a mass action on Tuesday 29th of August 2023 as we ground down FUTA north and South Gate should our demands are not met within the timeframe of next 72 hours by FUTA Management.
“It is believed that every sane management would prioritize the health security of the students, anything short of this is tantamount to incompetence at its peak and must be frowned at.”
