The schools of Nursing and Midwifery in Kano municipal and Madobi local government area of Kano State have allegedly been engaging in financial extortion from students and admission racketeering since 2014.
DAILY NIGERIAN gathered that the managements of the two school would over-admit students into the college and, after weeks into the study, organize a ‘weeding’ examination and eliminate larger part of the students, thereby extorting their registration fees.
Investigations by this newspaper revealed that the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria, NMCN, a body that regulates nursing and midwifery education and practice in the country, mandates the two schools to enroll 170 students annually but the school managements would “greedily” admit thousands of these students.
This year, it was gathered, over 2,500 newly admitted students will sit for the ‘weeding’ examination, just two weeks away from commencement of lectures in the school, instead of six months stipulated by the NMCN.
A source at one of the schools told this reporter that the Provost had imposed the weeding examination, tagged introductory examination, as a prerequisite for the teeming newly admitted students in order to make money out of their registration fees.
“Normally, after selling application forms, there will be an entrance examination. Successful candidates will conduct interview.
“The successful ones will therefore be shortlisted for admission. We normally admit about 200 to 300 students, less than 50
However, the source revealed that the problem came to limelight after a Civil Society Organization, Kano Citizens Concern had petitioned the NMCN against the alleged over-admission in the college.
To this effect, the source also revealed, the NMCN then queried the provost of the college and threatened to pay an unexpected visit in order to ascertain the veracity of the petition.
The source also disclosed that the NMCN then issued a circular to that effect, barring the two schools from conducting any weeding examination, which, according to the council, is illegal.
“Normally, the college takes charge of the admission process, based on the NMCS’s rules and regulations.
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“This year, however, the provost hijacked the admission process and marred it with so many irregularities.
“After the query, the provost then summoned emergency meeting on Wednesday and informed the staff that the school authorities have now slated January 6, 2020, for the conduct of the introductory examination, just two weeks from commencement of the lectures.
“This examination, even if it stands, is supposed to be conducted six months after the commencement of their introductory class, but the provost, because he is scared of the query, is planning to conduct it after only two weeks from the start of the programme,” the source lamented.
According to the source, when the examination is conducted on the January 6, there is likelihood that all the over 2,500 would fail, which means automatic dismissal from the school.
“The issue here is that, what is the fate of these students? After they purchased application form at N2,000, paid N8,000 registration fee, paid N4,000 accommodation fee, N750 for documentation and N500 each for SUG and MSS dues.
“And, at the end you scheduled an examination only two weeks, as against the six-month agreement. This is uncalled for,” the source protested.
Our reporter who visited the college on Thursday observed that the students were queuing up to collect the examination slip, a situation that showed that the provost is going ahead with the decision despite the ban by the NMCN.
However, as at the time of filing this report, our reporter observed that documentation exercise was still going on in the school.
One of the students, who did not want to be named, complained that almost all her colleagues were unprepared for the examination.
She expressed fear that most of the students could be disqualified, considering that they are new and had not learnt enough to sit for the examination.
She, therefore, appealed to the provost to shelve the plan and allow them learn enough before they could sit for the examination.
She, therefore, appealed to the provost to shelve the plan and allow them learn enough before they could sit for the examination.
“We have spent money and time. If this examination is conducted on this coming Monday, I don’t think anyone of us could pass it.
“We call on the school authorities to consider our plight and shelve the plan to conduct this examination.
“Actually, we are not prepared. We are not up to 4 weeks away from the commencement of lectures, how could we sit for examination when we have not learned anything?,” she asked rhetorically.
However, up to the time of filling this report, our reporter has not been able to get reactions from the embattled Provost, despite several calls and text messages which are yet to be returned.
