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The University of Medical Sciences (UNIMED), Ondo State, has refuted reports of a 149 per cent hike in tuition, clarifying that only fees for newly admitted students were slightly adjusted, while those of returning students remain unchanged. The Vice-Chancellor of the institution, Prof. Ebunoluwa Adejuyigbe, made this clarification during a press briefing, describing the claims as misleading and aimed at discrediting the fast-growing university, saying that there are courses whose fees are as low as ₦150,000. She explained that the adjustment was necessary to maintain academic standards amid current economic realities, adding that the university’s fees remain competitive and subsidised by the Ondo State Government. Adejuyigbe further disclosed that UNIMED has engaged the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) to ensure that indigent but deserving students benefit from the government’s student loan scheme. According to her, “There are a lot of incorrect narratives in some sections of the media on tuition at UNIMED. We find the false depiction of our fees by some fifth columnists as an attempt to malign a transparent and progressive institution.” “Let me set the records straight that the university did not increase fees across the board as it is being peddled; we only adjusted the fees of freshers to be able to give them the best in the face of the current economic realities. “As a transparent institution, our fees are available on the university website for all to see. The fees are competitive compared to other institutions. They are highly subsidised by the Government of Ondo State. “Last year, we verified 87 students whose names we took to NELFUND. I personally have been in contact with the head of NELFUND to see why our verified students were not brought into the programme. “This year, they have approached us again, and we are trying to verify something because we noticed that our fees were increased, which is erroneous because we did not increase the fees recently; they were increased earlier on.” Speaking on the transfer of the Akure complex of the University of Medical Sciences Teaching Hospital to the Federal University of Technology, Akure (FUTA), the Vice-Chancellor assured that the move would not affect UNIMED’s operations. She explained that, under the signed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), UNIMED students would continue to have access to the facilities and lecturers at the complex. “The ceding of the Akure branch to FUTA is a collaborative arrangement to help the university kick-start its medical science programmes while UNIMED continues to strengthen its main teaching hospital in Ondo. “It is a gesture meant to kick-start the medical science programmes at FUTA while the university gets its main teaching hospital ready. “I must add that UNIMED, as a rapidly developing medical school, has facilities that can relatively cater for the needs of its students at the Teaching Hospital in Ondo. “Please note that UNIMED believes that collaboration and cooperation are necessary for a 21st-century university to thrive. “So, while we maximise the facilities we have in Ondo, we will continue to collaborate with relevant institutions locally and internationally to deliver the best medical and health sciences education.” ALSO READ TOP STORIES FROM NIGERIAN TRIBUNE
