Following the recent withdrawal of accreditation of Abia State University Uturu (ABSU) Faculty of Medicine by the National Universities Commission (NUC), the state governor and visitor to the university, Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu, has said that the withdrawal had nothing to do with neither the technical and professional competence of the university nor its teaching hospital.

It was gathered that the withdrawal of accreditation was approved and implemented by the NUC after its delegation visited the university.

The governor, who noted that the development is not a death sentence but an appropriate wake-up call for the faculty to fix the problem, which led to the situation, stressed that it is only a momentary setback, which can be corrected in a matter of months.

The governor, at the weekend, through his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Onyebuchi Ememanka, in a press release, titled: “Issues Around the Accreditation of ABSU Medical Faculty,” made clarifications on the issue, stating that the withdrawal of accreditation affected only the medical school and not the teaching hospital. He explained that the implication of the development is that the Faculty of Medicine of the university cannot admit new students while this situation subsists.

He pointed out that the scenario does not affect the students, who are already studying at the faculty of medicine, adding that the loss of the accreditation is sole as a result of the closure of the Abia State University Teaching Hospital, where student-doctors are trained.

The statement reads: “The withdrawal of accreditation affected only the medical school and not the teaching hospital. The implication of this is that the faculty of medicine of the university cannot admit new students while this situation subsists. This does not in any way affect the students who are already studying at the faculty.

“The accreditation issue had nothing to do with neither the technical and professional competence of the university nor the teaching hospital.

“The hospital was closed as a result of issues around arrears of salaries of workers. The NUC accreditation delegation visited at a time the hospital was closed down.”