A total of? 328 medical students dropped by the University of Jos have sued the institution for alleged unjust rejection.
The students are contesting the decision of the university to drop their names from the list of 478 students admitted for 2008/2009 academic session.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the authorities of the university had admitted medical students in excess of the quota allowed by the Medical and Dental Council, necessitating the withdrawal of? its accreditation.
The authorities conducted an examination in January 2010 to screen the? students admitted? and only 150 were retained in a bid to keep its accreditation.
When the case came up? for hearing at the Federal High Court Jos on Thursday, Mr. Sunday Obende, the counsel to the students, told said they were unjustly denied the opportunity to continue with their academic pursuits.
?Obende prayed the court to compel the university authorities to allow them to continue with their studies as undergraduates in medicine.
The counsel to the university, Mr. Ninnan Denden, however, objected to the submissions, saying? that the screening? was done in line with the rules guiding the course.
?“Dropping the students became the only option for the university authorities when the Medical and Dental? Council withdrew the accreditation in December 2010.
?“The Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria withdrew the accreditation it issued to the university for? the simple reason that it admitted beyond 150 students required of all the Nigerian universities.”
?Dende said the university had given the affected students an option to choose courses from the other departments and continue with? their? academic pursuits.
Contrary to the argument of the students that their admission preceded the council's decision, Dende said the university flouted the council's regulation in force since 2005.
He said that the council in 2010, “descended on the university with a sledge hammer“ to force compliance.
The judge, Justice Ambrose Allagoah, assured the parties in dispute that the court would accelerate the hearing, provided the two counsel eschewed delays.
The judge noted that the? semester examinations were approaching and adjourned the case to March 21 for further hearing.(NAN)