The Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria has indefinitely suspended the controversial Preliminary Test Session (PTS) examination for Nursing students in Abia State.
The indefinite suspension followed a recent protest by students from the Umuahia and Amachara Nursing Schools which disrupted the rescheduled PTS examination.
Recall that the state government had earlier cancelled the PTS exam and rescheduled it following protests by the Nursing students over alleged result and admission racketeering.
The Commissioner for Health, Dr. Ngozi Okoronkwo,announced the suspension while briefing Journalists at Government House Umuahia, alongside the Commissioner for Information and Culture, Prince Okey Kanu.
She also cited issues stemming from an over-bloated admission of Nursing students during the previous administration.
Dr. Okoronkwo explained that the past administration admitted 420 students instead of the recommended 75, leading to challenges in managing the situation.
“This admission happened in April, so they were already in school when we came in.
“The schools were supposed to have taken at least 75 students only for the training institution but what we met on ground was 420 students.
“We met that situation on ground, So, this is what we are trying to manage . We didn’t create it but we have to find a solution”.
According to the Commissioner, the Nursing Council intervened after the initial protest, requiring strict adherence to guidelines, including verification of correct WAEC results before the resheduled examination was marred by protest.
She said; “ After the protest, the Nursing Council stepped in and sent a Director from Abuja.We held a meeting with them and they said, for the students to take the exams , they must be sure of their credentials.
“We had to now follow strictly the guidelines, that the first thing first would be to verify that they(students )have correct WAEC results”.
Dr Okoronkwo said that the state in response had initiated the verification process immediately, obtaining names and documents from Nursing School Amachara and Nursing School, Umuahia.
She further revealed that during the process , 500 out of over 700 students were cleared before another protest marred the rescheduled examination which promped the indefinite suspension by the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria.
