The Imo State Commissioner for Education, Prof. B. T. O Ikegwuoha has been accused of interfering with the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria NMCN August General Nursing Council qualifying Examination for Nigeria Nurses at Imo State College of Nursing Sciences, Orlu.
The final Nursing qualifying examination is an examination for Schools of Nursing, Colleges of Nursing and Departments of Nursing in Nigeria supervised by the Nigeria Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria, NMCN.
According to reports from the College, on the day the examination took place, 25th August 2020, about 9: 45 am, Prof Ikegwuoha came in unceremoniously into the Imo College of Nursing Sciences Orlu examination hall where registered student Nurses were taking their qualifying Examination, to get licensed as a registered Nurses with the NMCN with a stranger and directed the stranger to join the NMCN examiners in the invigilation of the Paper 1 examination of the General Nursing Council Examination.
These was resisted by the examiners as the Examiners sent by NMCN asked the stranger by the Commissioner to leave the examination Hall as he is not one of the examiners sent by NMCN but the stranger refused to leave the hall which caused a scene and disruption of the Paper 1 of the general Nursing Council Examination.
When the examiners insisted that the stranger must leave the hall and the College environment.
The NMCN examiners further placed a call to the Council which may have prompted the Director, Nursing Services Imo State, Mrs Chukwueke to come to the scene.
According to reports,the ugly situation created by Prof Ikegwuoha’ stranger also prompted the NMCN headquarters to send a flying examiner to the College, and a car with plate : HEALTH NMCN 03 FG was also sighted parked in the college premises by the time of going to press.
Efforts to speak to the Commissioner was futile.
It will be recalled that such interference by a former Commissioner in Imo State made the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria NMCN to shut down Owerri School of Nursing in the state in 2005 and the affected School of Nursing, Owerri had remained shut down till date.
The fear of students of the college and parents are expressing worry over the development, as they express fear of what will be the reactions of NMCN to this recent interference in its Council Final examination by the Commissioner for Education, Prof Ikegwuoha. as any hash action or penalty will affect the students and the state, considering the fact that the School of Nursing, Owerri is still under embargo by NMCN.
According to Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria News, edition 14 Vol 10, page 37, School of Nursing Owerri was withdrawn and placed embargo on admission on November, 2005 by NMCN due to this kind of interference.
