Protest as Okowa’s director fails to enroll over 300 nursing students for final examination
By Dave Okpogadie, Asaba
The fate of over three hundred final year students of the Delta State School of Nursing from Warri, Eku and Agbor is hanging in the balance and consequently embarked on a protest in Asaba, Delta State.
The students, who were billed to commence their final National Nursing Council Examination on Tuesday, were informed early Tuesday morning that they were not registered for the examination by the Director of School of Nursing in the state despite paying all necessary fees.
It was learnt that the Director of School of Nursing, Mrs. Gloria Igumbor, communicated the sad development to the students when she visited them at the Delta State School Midwifery, Asaba, at about 12:05am on Tuesday.
The protest was held at the Delta State Library headquarters in Asaba, venue of the botched examination.
It was further gathered that each of the students had paid N98,000 through the Director of Delta State School of Nursing for the National Nursing Council Examination and another N15,000 for CBT training.
Mrs. Igumbor, whose reign as Director of School Nursing has been greeted with controversies, was reported to have threatened to expel any student who protest against the development.
According to the students, Igumbor failed to enroll them for their final national nursing exam citing technical issues in the registration process.
The situation resulted in a riot by the students who purportedly locked up the Director of School of Nursing.
It was gathered that she also allegedly boasted before the students that Governor Ifeanyi Okowa was aware of the development and was solidly behind her in whatever action she takes regarding the three schools and warned that no amount of protest could force the governor to remove her.
With the development, the over 300 nursing students comprising 92 from Warri Nursing School, 110 from Eku and 112 from Agbor Nursing School will not be graduating at the end of their three years academic session
Mrs. Igumbor was also heard in an audio calling the students “idiots” for daring to ask her the fate of their exam during the visit to the final year students at the School of Midwifery in Asaba.
Meanwhile, the Commissioner for Health in the state, Dr. Mordi Onoye, who visited the visibly angry students described the incident as a “wicked act and highly regrettable”.
Dr. Mordi, who claimed he was not aware of the development, assured the protesting students that the state government will take appropriate action against those responsible for the non-enrollment of the final year students for the all-important council examination.
