The Governor of Benue State, Hyacinth Alia, has reinstated the bonding agreement for medical students at the College of Health Sciences, Benue State University.
This was revealed during the 9th Professional Induction and Admission Ceremony for the 2023 Graduating Doctors of the college, held in Makurdi on Monday.
As part of the renewed bonding arrangement, the state government is committed to providing monthly allowances of N103,000 to all medical students at the institution until they graduate.
However, this allowance comes with a condition that students must serve the state for a mandatory period of at least two years before pursuing other opportunities.
The bonding agreement was initially introduced during Gabriel Suswamโs administration but was discontinued under Samuel Ortomโs government.
This discontinuation resulted in a constant outflow of graduates who sought better opportunities elsewhere.
Governor Alia, in his announcement, encouraged medical professionals from Benue who had left the state in search of better prospects to return, assuring them of improved opportunities within Benue. He emphasized his commitment to supporting the state-owned university and achieving the objectives of his administrationโs policies.
He praised the foresight and dedication of the founding fathers and staff of the universityโs Medical School, recognizing their resilience in building the institution from its foundation to its current status despite numerous challenges.
Governor Alia commended the medical graduates of the institution for their remarkable contributions to the healthcare sector worldwide.
He also revealed that the admission quota for the MBBS program would increase from 75 to 150 students, citing the institutionโs exceptional medical facilities and the high-quality doctors it produces.
