Governor Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia State has described the Abia State School of Nursing and Midwifery, Umuahia, as the cheapest of its kind in the country.
He said that the reasonable fees charged by the school management made it more attractive than any other similar institution in the country and of high demand by prospective students.
He stated this following a report that some students had accused the school management of exploitation and called for the governor’s intervention.
The students had alleged that the school received applications from admission seekers in excess of available slots and compelled them to pay N500,000 each, as school fees.
They further alleged that after six months, the students were mandated to pay another N30, 000 for the school to facilitate their admission, but it never happened.
However, the governor said that no student was meant to pay any other fees, apart from the one approved by the government.
According to him, they are meant to pay N260,000, before his administration was inaugurated, but it was reviewed downward to N215, 000, to make it affordable for parents.
He said, “This is all the students pay, I mean those coming in after Preliminary Training School (PTS). No student pays any other fees to the best of my knowledge, except examination fees, or when they are going for experience, which is dependent on where they are going.
“It is tuition-free, once you pass PTS. Every other state charges between N700,000 and N900,000, yet people there don’t complain.”
Meanwhile, a reliable management source has dismissed the allegation by the students, saying that the school was being guided by Standard Operating Procedure.
The source told NAN on the condition of anonymity that every fund collected from the students goes into the state account.
It further said that it was not possible for anyone to say that they paid money to an individual.
The source challenged any person with such a claim to come forward with evidence to prove it.
The process of admitting students into the institution, the source noted, was similar to that of the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board, where millions of students would purchase forms and write examinations, but only a sizable number would be offered admission.
The source further said that entrance examination into the school was being conducted by the Council of Nursing in Abuja, which also determines the cut-off mark.
According to the official, once the council is through with both the entrance examination and oral interview, the list of successful candidates would be published.
“It is neither done by the principal nor the school management. Once you are successful, the Ministry of Health will issue you an admission letter, just like JAMB does.
“The school is allotted 75 students, but if for instance, about 300 persons sat for the examination, is it possible to take everybody?”, the source asked.
(NAN)
