Illegal admission rocks Delta State Colleges of Nursing Sciences

Illegal admission of students into Delta State Colleges of Sciences has continued unabated. It was gathered that whereas  three months ago, admission  process of new students for the 2023/2025 academic session ought to have ended. 

It was however gathered  that the induced admission  is allegedly  facilited by some dubious officials from the office of the Commissioner of Health and aided by a few of unscrupulous administrative staff in the Colleges.

Recall that the entrance examination into the four Colleges of Nursing Sciences in Asaba, Agbor, Warri and Sapele took place about four months ago.

As the tradition demands, each of the Colleges was expected to offer admission to a maximum 250 students per College. 

It was learnt that while 800 applicants wrote the entrance examination in each of the Colleges, the process  was allegedly hijacked by an aide to the Commissioner and some 'selected' past and present officials of the National Association of Nurses and Midwives (NAN&M), Delta State chapter.

These crop of personnel   deliberately denied admission to over 90% of the applicants in order to create room for extortion of huge  amount from students who were bent on getting admission into the institution.

The breakdown of figures independently obtained from the office of the Directorate of Nursing Services in Asaba showed that in College of Nursing Science, Agbor, 800 candidates wrote the entrance exam, but only 36 passed on merit.  

Likewise, in the College of Nursing Sciences, Warri, 800 candidates also wrote the entrance examination  but only 40 passed with merit, while in the College of Nursing Sciences, Eku, 700 wrote the examination, it was only 41 that passed with merit.   
It was learnt that  to make up for the number of students required for each College, the gang of racketeers  who hijacked the admission process from the administrative departments of the Colleges, harped on  the  opportunity to coerce candidates to pay  between N500,000 and N1 million each to give admissions to the over 90% of candidates who were classified  to have failed the examination illegally. 

Our Correspondent learnt that, Agbor has admitted 200 students; Warri, 150 while Eku, after  admitting  about 100 students, are still admitting those who  can afford the illegal offer.

“An anonymous group of frustrated administrative staff of one of the  Colleges said: "Admission  to Delta State Colleges of Nursing Sciences is now for the highest bidder. It is now cash and carry.  It has been so politicized such that even those who did not write the examination were given admission so  long as their parents can afford to cough  out millions of naira.

“Our fear is that in the nearest future, with the caliber of students who have been given admission now and the level of corruption being perpetrated by administrative officials of the Colleges and aided by some Ministry officials, Delta State will be turning out half-baked Nurses and Midwives.  

"This is a threat to the Health Care Delivery Policy of the Delta State Government”, anonymous  persons concluded.

Our Correspondent learnt that a new Director of Nursing Services who was not carried along in  the admission process complained  and  frustrated  about the manner they have commercialized the process of admission of new nursing students in the state.  

A concerned staff of one of the colleges volunteered to speak to our Correspondent said: "More worrisome in recent times was the derogative attitude of the Chairman of the National Association of Nurses and Midwives (NAN&M) Delta State and her predecessor who  have  turned Academic Staff of the Colleges of Nursing Sciences.

"They now work hand in hand with key officials in the Commissioner's office to conduct entrance examination and admit students into these schools and sideline 
 the Director of Nursing Sciences and the academic staff. 

The Commissioner cannot claim to oblivious of all the racket  going on in the schools", the concerned staff  concluded.

When the Delta State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Joseph Dr. Onojaeme was  contacted on phone about the development in the State Colleges of Nursing Sciences, he expressed surprise and  he promised to carry out  investigation into the whole issue.