Delta state commissioner for health, Dr. Joseph Onojaeme, on Tuesday said that the provost of the Asaba school of nursing and midwifery has been demoted while a lecturer at Agbor nursing school will face disciplinary action for various degrees of offenses contrary to established rules of conduct in the school of nursing.
Dr. Onojaeme spoke to journalists at the headquarters of the state ministry of health while reacting to some allegations of misconduct leveled against the said officers, a development which is presumed to have had adverse effect on the integrity of the state ministry of health.
The commissioner who reeled out various actions already taken to return the state schools of nursing and midwifery into its past glory, told journalists in his office that the affected officers and others who might take after them in the institutions will not go without receiving the sledge hammer of the law.
Reports reaching our news desk revealed that students of the school of nursing have accused the officers of massive extortion. Some of them had alleged that they paid between N500,000 and N1million to gain admission into the institution, according to SaharaReporters
The report revealed that the recent refund of an undisclosed amount of illegal fees extorted from them was a mere jamboree to deceive the public and disabuse the minds of the people on the massive extortion being perpetrated by authorities and staff of the nursing schools in the state.
Following reports of illegal collections from students, Governor Sheriff Oborevwori ordered refunds of such unapproved fees imposed on the students in Asaba and Sapele. Students of the institutions reportedly sent save our soul message to the governor, a development which prompted the move to refund the fees to the said students.
Reacting to the developments, Dr. Onojaeme said on assumption of duty as commissioner for health, there were various reports of payment for scores, payment for marks, payment for admission and other obnoxious acts being perpetrated by staff of the nursing schools.
“When I came onboard I had a lot of issues with the department of nursing. A very junior nurse was heading the department. There were a lot of payment for scores, payment for marks, payment for admission and others. Some of those things we have addressed on my assumption as commissioner for health.
“For instance, this last nursing exam that was conducted, you found out that a lot of people who do not know politicians, who do not know anybody in government got admission into the school of nursing in the state.
“Common entrance payment before now was N363,000. This covers uniform and others. But when I came in, we reduced it to N271,000. The illegal collection for building levy was refunded under my watch. Those things you hear outside are baseless.
If you bring in any evidence that the current department of nursing is collecting illegal money from students, we will deal with it. I got complaints from school of nursing in Asaba and I stepped down the provost of the school. We don’t play with issues of extortion from students, it’s against the MORE Agenda of the present administration. Anything against the MORE Agenda we take it with all seriousness,” Dr. Onojaeme explained.
According to the commissioner who seemed to be overwhelmed with the level of extortion and corruption in the nursing schools, “There are remnants of corruption in the system. It is a very difficult thing because if you look at it very carefully, some of the students are used to paying money to pass.
“Now, there is nothing like that. You must read to pass. The students are also finding it difficult because they have been used to the old system of payment to pass exam which we are no longer tolerating.”
He explained that the medical profession is a very noble one, consequently the state cannot afford to produce half baked doctors and nurses who will take care of the health of Deltans and Nigerians.
“If you allow a defaulted structure to continue, it is going to tell on all of us here. So, we must do the right thing. The right thing might be difficult but we must follow it squarely. We need the support of all of you to achieve this in the ministry,” Dr. Onojaeme stated.
“We are talking about a profession that takes care of human being. We must bring out the best standard from the schools to take care of the society. We don’t want to bring out half-baked doctors and nurses from our schools. It has a dire consequence on the society.
“There is a lecturer who collected money for scores, that lecturer will be severely dealt. We are transferring the lecturer from Agbor. We will set up a panel to investigate him. If he is found wanting, he will be dealt with. We don’t joke with issues of corruption in our schools.”
