In a startling turn of events, the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria has taken the unprecedented step of indefinitely suspending the Preliminary Test Session (PTS) examinations in Abia State nursing schools. The decision comes amidst a maelstrom of controversy surrounding purported over-bloated admissions. The suspension was announced during a press briefing in Umuahia by the Abia State commissioner for health, Dr. Ngozi Okoronkwo, accompanied by the commissioner for information and culture, Okey Kanu.
Dr. Okoronkwo elucidated that the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria invoked the suspension due to the staggering over-admission of students to the Amachara School of Nursing and School of Nursing, Umuahia. Astoundingly, 420 students were admitted to the nursing program by the previous administration, far surpassing the approved quota of 75 spots. However, she affirmed that the Abia State government is diligently working to rectify this impasse.
This development unfolds against the backdrop of a contentious atmosphere surrounding the PTS examination in the state. Allegations have surfaced, levied by certain students, accusing the Director of Nursing in the State, Onyeukwu Nwakaego, and other high-ranking officials of complicity in compromising the integrity of the examination. Consequently, calls for the cancellation of the examination have reverberated. Conversely, another faction of nursing students, led by Chidiebere Michael, has decried the annulment of the initial examination.
In response to the uproar, the Abia State government annulled the initial exercise and scheduled a re-sit, waiving all associated fees. However, on the day of the re-sit examination, a cohort of nursing students once again attempted to disrupt the proceedings, alleging unfair exclusion based on their West African Examinations Council (WAEC) results.
Nevertheless, the commissioner for health divulged that upon investigation, it was unearthed that some of the protesting students had purportedly submitted counterfeit WAEC results.
The events surrounding the suspension of the Abia PTS examinations paint a picture of systemic irregularities and crisis within the nursing education sector, underscoring the urgent need for stringent oversight and reforms to restore integrity and equity within the system.
