Uproar as AAU Medical Students forced to sign undertaking to spend extra 18 months, “wait indefinitely” for acceptance into clinical class

The management of Ambrose Alli University (AAU), Ekpoma, Edo State has reportedly forced its 300-level Medicine and Surgery students to sign an undertaking to continue to pay school fees for an additional 18-month programme while they wait for available slots to progress to 400-level clinical class.

A student of the institution disclosed this on his X (formerly Twitter) handle, where he revealed that they were given an undertaking to sign while sitting for their Part 1 MBBS exams and that such an undertaking could prolong the duration of students in the school to over 12 years.

In the document seen by Dockaysworld, the students were compelled to agree to three conditions: wait for an available slot to continue their course; enrol in an 18-month BSc programme in Anatomy or Physiology to stay occupied, and commit to regular fee payments during the waiting period.

Sharing a picture of the undertaking on his X handle, the student wrote:

“Forcing students to sign an undertaking like this on the day of their exam is madness.

Even cults don’t operate like this.

You’re asking people who have already spent five years in the school to sign away their future and every opportunity to get justice?

These are children with dreams.

How can a school be so shameless? They paid their fees, paid all the money you asked for, the government paid your salaries, and this is how you’re going to treat your students? Is it because your children are not here? Are we not someone’s child?

The undertaking also prohibits students from engaging in protests or acts that could harm the college and university’s image. The directive was issued on the day of their examination.

The conditions in the undertaking are as stated below:

I hereby undertake as follows:

• After my Part 1 MBBS (Professional) Examination, I will undertake an 18-month intercalated BSc programme in Anatomy or Physiology in the College of Medicine.

• I will wait until anytime there is space for me to proceed to clinical (400 level) before I will do so.

• I will continue to pay school fees as a medical student.”

Meanwhile, students of the university have been on tenterhooks because of an alleged 300% increase in school fees, which the school has officially denied.