There are indications that the prolonged accredation problem that has crippled the College of Medicine of the University of Abuja may be near its end as the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria has declared it fit for take-off.

The chairman of the council’s accreditation committee, FrankAkpuaka, announced this after inspecting the facilities of the College of Health Sciences of the institution.

“In the next few weeks, action will shift to this place. It is our hope that with what we have seen today, that will be possible,” he said.

Akpuaka, said there were some outstanding responsibilities to be settled by the university, but expressed optimism that those issues would be resolved in few weeks.

He called on the university to provide the remaining requirements such as the building of a clinical hostel within the hospital premises, provision of standard offices for the academic staff, a college block and employment of adequate academic staff.

The chairman advised the lecturers to start writing their lecture schedules – “Do not wait until the students are here before you start preparing,” he told them.

Akpuaka also advised the management of the university and the hospital to work in harmony to ensure an environment conducive for learning and operations.

The university’s vice chancellor, Sunday Adelabu, commended the team for their steadfastness and interest in ensuring standards for the university.

He assured that the management would not relent in efforts at putting the necessary infrastructure in place for the smooth take-off of the college and expressed joy that the university was witnessing the final stage of transformation.

Students of the college had staged several protest to express their disappointment and frustrations with the school authority over the unnecessary stagnation in the programme due to its non-accreditation.

Some of the students claimed they had spent over eight years in the school without exceeding the third level of the programme as a result of the challenge.