TURNS OF EVENT IN OBAFEMI AWOLOWO UNIVERSITY TEACHING HOSPITALS COMPLEX COLLEGE OF NURSING; 2020-2023 by Olabanji Joel

In the annals of the Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospitals Complex (OAUTHC) College of Nursing, a saga unfolded in 2020 when the Alumni Association, driven by a genuine concern for transparency and accountability, dared to question the fees paid by nursing students and the utilization of these funds. Same questions we all should come together to ask today because all the concerns we raised still exist till this day.

In 2020, The Alumni Association of Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospitals Complex Schools of Nursing, Midwifery and Perioperative Nurses with an open heart raised a concern on the fee paid by nursing students and utilization of the fees. Instead of asking about our reason for raising the concern, many persons saw our actions as a fight against the school management.

We simply asked questions that could have been answered with explanations on why students have to pay for services but get denied of these services as this was the reason for our probe.

For example, why should students pay for accommodation and caution fees but still have to repair items in the hostel that got spoilt due to wear and tear and not an intentional destructive act? 

The Alumni body (OAUTHCSNMPA) asked a very sensitive question on finances which didn't go well with many without even knowing that the entire hospital will be in a huge financial mess in less than 3 years after our questioning was disregarded and labelled an act of ungratefulness. I still wonder till this day if I have to be forced to be grateful for the services I paid for before getting. Will I have been able to graduate from the institution if my parents could not afford the fees or if I failed to study hard as a student ? 

"PEOPLE'S INDIFFERENCE IS THE BEST BREEDING GROUND FOR CORRUPTION TO GROW" - Delia Ferreira Rubio Chair of Transparency International.

In 2020, we questioned the hospital authorities and despite all the labellings and counter offensive actions by the then hospital and school management, we were able to achieve some things for the benefit of the students but not without a price. The students we fought for were coerced into writing a letter dissociating themselves from the alumni activities, the parents teachers forum (PTF) called a meeting where parents were convinced into dissociating themselves from the Alumni, the chairman of the parent teacher forum who had no child in the school therefore doesn't know the financial pressure the parents had to go through and still have their wards denied of services paid for presided over the meeting and had the PTF disconnected from the activities of the Alumni. Also, some of the members of the alumni were threatened, victimized, condemned, and called names simply for demanding for accountability and transparency in the management of the funds being paid by the students. In the face of the adversaries, we were able to get some unaccounted fees removed from the students fees even though some were still included using other names/tags but we had a fair end for the students at the cost of our names, reputation and relationships which became sour during and after the probe.

one of the concerns raised in 2020

In 2023, Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospitals Complex has suffered greatly from bad leadership, lack of accountability, corruption, greed, and cowardice from the part of every staff member in the institution. The glory of Obafemi Awolowo University Hospitals Complex as a whole is becoming a once upon a time thing, and the present management is trying to make it worse in a disguise to make things better. Without a present board of management, the present Chief Medical Director is acting unchecked and destabilising several activities in the hospital in disguise as global standard, even on things he has nothing or no knowledge of. 

When will the members of staff, associations, departments, and institutions in OAUTHC start demanding a transparent and accountable form of leadership? 

Are all the associations and members of staff scared of victimization? 

The hospital is in a huge mess, and actions to severe the situation by the present management keeps making things worse.

On this note, I will like to reiterate that the activities of OAUTHCSNMPA in the year 2020 was not targeted at any individual and it was not deliberately initiated by anyone against anybody but a need for accountability and transparency birthed the event which happened to the Nursing Education department in Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospitals Complex. Due to the action by the Head of Nursing Education department who felt that the probe was targeted at her personality, the question which was meant to be answered by the entire hospital management became hers only and the then CMD and  CMAC were both able to escape the questioning and thus prevented the complete liberation of OAUTHC Nursing Education Department.

The event that transpired between the Obafemi Awolowo University Complex Nursing Education department and the alumni led to grievances between the two parties, which has remained unresolved till this day.

I hope the Present administration of the Nursing Education department will see the actions taken by the Alumni association as an act of a true patriot who is after the betterment of her Alma-Mata rather than the fall of the institution.

The concern with the Nursing Education department in OAUTHC was previously about getting adequate facilities and services but it has gone beyond the management providing the necessary items for the school to the management trying to extort and take advantage of the students by increasing the school fees from an amount less than #300,000 yearly to about #500,000-#850,000 yearly. It baffles me how irresponsibility, lack of empathy, corruption, and impunity exist in the body, soul, and spirit of those who have lives of people committed to them.

Will the part two students in OAUTHC College of Nursing pay the new fee hike of #536,500, and the HND students pay #840,500? 

Will the parents who were once coerced to put the alumni association in disrepute pay the fee or stand their ground against oppression, corruption, and extortion?

Will the school management allow their students to be used to paying for the hospital's financial crisis or stand against the extortion of their students?

Will the alumni body, which was once regarded as liars, clout chasers, and ignorant ones, stand up for the students who once signed and disconnected themselves from the body?

Will the fee be paid by parents who are able to get loans or sell their properties just to send their wards to the College of Nursing?

Or will the dream of many young ones who can't afford these exorbitant fees be cut short by dropping out of the nursing institution?

The fate of countless dreams hangs in the balance, dreams that may be truncated by the burden of unaffordable fees. 

Will average Nigerians lose the privilege of attending esteemed institutions like OAUTHC College of Nursing? 

The question resonates: Will this fee hike stand or fall?

Olabanji Joel Orolugbagbe, a nurse and writer, poses these questions as a stark reminder of the importance of transparency and accountability in shaping the future of nursing education.

WILL THIS FEE STAND OR NOT?

Olabanji Joel

A Nurse and a Writer