UPDATE ON THE DELTA STATE NURSING STUDENTS November 22 Finalists saga by Olabanji Joel

Over 300 students from three Nursing schools in Delta state prepared psychologically, physically and spiritually for the November 2022 Nursing and Midwifery Council qualifying examination only to be told on the midnight of the examination that they would not be writing the exam because they had not been indexed.

In November 2022, Nursing Students around the country were prepared to write the qualifying Nursing examination which was schedule to start on the 1st and end on the 3rd of November. While many students around the country had the opportunity to sit for the examination they had prepared for, over 300 students from three schools in Delta state received the shocking news at midnight of their examination that they won't be writing the examination and the students were expected to stay calm in their hostels while the examination takes place.

Upon hearing this and seeing the news on several media platforms, I wanted to know more about the incident and also know more about the personality of the head of the nursing service of the state, this led to me searching online and also interviewing students from the schools affected. As a Nurse trained in one of the nursing institutions in Nigeria, I was curious to know why the students were not indexed from their first year in the school through to their final year. I also wanted to know if it was actually the fault of the students or the head of schools. My curiosity led me into a deep search which came out with a shocking revelation about the director of Nursing of the state. As Nurses, we are expected to always be at our best behavior always with great virtues but upon my digging, I realized that the director of Nursing service of delta state is far from being whom a Nurse should be with several corruption allegations against her dated to as far back as 2018.

For the students who couldn't write the NMCN qualifying examination from the three nursing schools in Delta, I spoke with some of them who were willing to discuss with their identity concealed due to the fear of intimidation and complete expulsion from the school.

DISCUSSION WITH STUDENT 1

Olabanji Joel: Can you tell me about why the indexing wasn't done after the PTS exam? Also can you tell me how much you paid for the indexing and when you made the payment.

Anonymous: We had no idea that they had not done our indexing because after our pts exam, we paid #15000 for indexing along with other fees too. We also paid 2500 twice again or three times I cannot really recall We don't know why they did not Index us all this time they just told us they were waiting for our index numbers

Olabanji Joel: Can you please tell me the name of your school

Anonymous: School of nursing EKU Delta State

Olabanji Joel: How much did you pay for council and when did you pay?

Anonymous: We paid 98,000 naira around August

Olabanji Joel: Also, how much is your yearly school fees

Anonymous: We don't pay school fees though just some school levy

 Olabanji Joel: Please what is your principal's name and HOD

Anonymous: The principal's name is Mr zuayi

Olabanji Joel: So when were you told you wouldn't be writing the exam because you haven't been indexed? Also were you told the reason for not being indexed?

Anonymous: It was the morning of the council exam, around 12:30 am they came to the hostels they asked us to stay in Asaba

Olabanji Joel: Okay, were you staying in that hostel with students from other schools?

Anonymous: No, they gave us different hostels

Olabanji Joel: But within the same compound right?

Anonymous: No. They gave us different places to stay but all of us in Eku stayed In the same hostel.

Olabanji Joel: Okay. Thank you

Olabanji Joel: Also, why is it that the DNS is the one everyone is calling out and not the principal?

Anonymous: I feel it's because the DNS should have known earlier if the Numbers were not going to come out. She is in charge coordinating and she failed

Olabanji Joel: What about the principals? They are the head of the schools so they should be held accountable directly not the DNS.

Olabanji Joel: Was it the DNS that addressed you on the morning of the exam?

Anonymous: Yes, she talked to us. Not even the principals. That means she has been aware of it since

Olabanji Joel: Thank you for your time.

STUDENT 2:

Olabanji Joel: Good day, please I am Olabanji Joel, I just want to hear directly from a student or two about the incident that prevented you and your colleagues from writing the 2022 November Nursing and Midwifery qualifying examination after paying and getting prepared.

Anonymous: At the moment I don’t trust anybody except myself, I don’t want to involve other students cos they might be informants to the DNS

Olabanji Joel: Can you tell me about why the indexing wasn't done after the PTS exam? Also can you tell me how much you paid for the indexing and when you made the payment

Anonymous: I don’t know if the indexing was done or not but after our exam we paid about #85000 for supposed indexing. Two men came and started what seemed like an index process. They asked for some of our credentials and collected extra money for those of us that are yet to collect our original WAEC certificates (I was in that category) I paid #8000 for that because they claimed that I was supposed to submit my original certificate. We also paid #3000 for capturing or thereabout. All these happened in 2020 after our PTS exam and after they called off the lockdown, we made the payment of the #85000 immediately we resumed for second semester year 1. Whether they did the index or were deceiving us is what I don’t quite understand

Olabanji Joel: So you paid for the indexing from 2020?

Anonymous: Yes after the first six months exam (PTS) exam in 2020

Olabanji Joel: And up till today, they haven't done the indexing

Anonymous: This is what I don’t know of

Olabanji Joel: Do you know how much the indexing would cost if you had done it yourself?

Anonymous: Not at all sir

Anonymous: We’re restricted to so many information

Olabanji Joel: Okay

Olabanji Joel: So when were you told you wouldn't be writing the exam because you haven't been indexed? Also were you told the reason for not being indexed?

Anonymous: On the morning of our exam, 12:30am 1st of November to be precise. The DNS alongside our principal and others came to the hostel that night.

Anonymous: And told us that we shouldn’t go to the state e library which was our exam center later in the day because due to some technical issues that we won’t be partaking in the exams and that if we go there the school will be shut down

Olabanji Joel: That's serious, So what did they expect you all to do? Were they expecting you to keep quiet and just agree?

Olabanji Joel: Can you please tell me the name of your school?

Anonymous: State school of Nursing Warri

Olabanji Joel: When did you pay for the council exam and how much please

Anonymous: We paid in July. We paid #98000 each and we were told to pay it under a duration of 1 week after our hospital finals results were released

Olabanji Joel: Also, how much is your yearly school fees? .  Please what is your principal's name and HOD

Olabanji Joel: Okay

Anonymous: We don’t pay fees per day but we pay for hostel maintenance, SUG fees, students' week money and pretty much anything we’re asked  to pay. We don’t pay tuition fees

Anonymous: We pay for exam fees and Resit fee

Olabanji Joel: Okay but no particular tuition fee throughout the year, it's free. So how much in total can you say that you pay?

Anonymous: No tuition fee but to be honest the expenses are more than people that pay actual school fees because we pay as the need arises. I hope you understand. If I put a price I might be wrong

Olabanji Joel: Please what is the name of the school principal

Anonymous: Mr Edwin Igweh

After our hospital finals results were released: After our hospital finals results were released

Olabanji Joel: What is the DNS full name again please

Anonymous: Mrs Igumbor Gloria

Olabanji Joel: Also, why is it that the DNS is the one everyone is calling out and not the principal?

Anonymous: Our principal is new. He’s barely few months into the school, he was former principal of school of nursing eku

Olabanji Joel: Okay, What about the former principal?

Anonymous: He was terrible and ally with DNS

Anonymous: Mr Ogaga Timothy Onorikpori

Olabanji Joel: So where is he now?

Anonymous: This principal is new and I can say he’s innocent

Anonymous: He has been removed. I don’t know where he is as we speak

Olabanji Joel: He was transferred from another school of Nursing but the same school of Nursing he was transferred from is also affected. So he didn't do well at the other school too.

Anonymous: According to him he indexed his students in EKU before he left. He’s certain the problem is either from council or those men that are in charge of sending payment to council for our exam.

Anonymous: I really hope I’m not going to be implicated with this information. These people are dangerous and I honestly don’t want to be in their trouble.

Olabanji Joel: No, Not at all. Your identity is concealed. I understand you perfectly and your information is secured with me. Just be calm

Anonymous: I’m calm. I just want to write my exams and graduate

Olabanji Joel: Definitely, you will do that next year May

Anonymous: It’s really unfortunate 

Olabanji Joel: It will be well. Thank you for your time and God bless. Amen

Considering the discussion with the two students, it seems there is more beyond what we have on social media. The school asked the students to pay despite knowing they were not indexed and despite knowing they would not be writing the qualifying examination. The question is that why were the students not told earlier that they haven't been indexed and won't be writing the exam? Why is the Director of the state Nursing service not yet being questioned by the Nursing council even if the state can not do anything because she is related to the state Governor.

Following several media coverage and outburst on the issue, the Nursing students in Delta State had another nursing council examination organized for them and this was done last year December 13th-15th, 2022. According to my findings, everyone except one girl from Warri (name withheld) did not write the examination as she still didn't have her index number as of the time of the examination even though she was seen at the venue of the examination but couldn't write her other colleagues and the authorities were not sure she was indexed. She’s currently waiting to join May 2023 candidates hoping that the issue with her index would have been resolved by the time of the examination.

In conclusion, Mrs Igumbor is still the DNS and the principals of the schools involved still maintains their position till this day with no known punishment meted out to them for their unprofessional act and conduct. Had it been that the students stayed in their allocated accommodation as they were asked to without speaking out, they wouldn't have had the opportunity to write a rescheduled exam and they would have stayed in the school to probably write with the 2023 May finalists. I call on the registrar of the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria who definitely made it possible to have a whole Nursing council examination rescheduled for the students of Delta State to rise up to protect the image of Nursing by duly investigating this case which has lingered for over two months now and ensure that the students get justice for the extortion and mental breakdown they have experienced during this period. I hope the NMCN won't be a body that will be found protecting people who have done absolutely so many things contradicting the ethics of the profession. We hope the profession will remain to be known as a noble one following the final decision made by the Registrar on this case.

Thanks

Olabanji Joel 

A Nurse and a Writer