The Socialist Youth League (SYL) has expressed profound grief over the death of Nankling Samuel, a student at the University of Jos in Plateau State, attributed to allegedly substandard health services.
The SYL has aligned itself with the university students, who are mourning and actively protesting for better conditions. Nankling, a third-year political science student, died after a brief illness on Saturday, April 13, 2024. She initially received treatment at the university clinic and was later transferred to Jos University Teaching Hospital, where she succumbed to her illness.
In a statement, Kaleb Utange, the National Coordinator, said, “Nankling’s death tragically underscores the grave failures of a system that prioritizes profit over human lives.” He criticized the ruling elites for their indifference towards public healthcare while accessing top-tier medical services themselves, either domestically or abroad.
Utange emphasized, “Nankling’s passing is not an isolated event but a symptom of a broader system that values wealth accumulation over meeting basic human needs.” The SYL is calling on students, labor unions, and working-class groups to unite against these oppressive capitalist forces to build a society that prioritizes human needs over profit. They are also showing solidarity with dental students at the university who are protesting for program accreditation and their rights to education.
Additionally, the SYL is supporting the efforts of students at the University of Ibadan who are opposing excessive tuition fees, aiming for accessible education for all.
Meanwhile, a significant number of University of Jos students have protested the deteriorating state of campus health facilities despite recent steep fee increases. The protests have been particularly vocal among dental students, who are demanding better facilities and the reversal of the recent fee hikes. They carried placards with messages such as “Insufficient Medical Facilities In The Clinics And Yet School Fees Was Increased” and “#SaveUnijosDentalStudents.”
Read Also: Top 20 Private Universities in Nigeria, Tuition Fees