Protest Paralyses Activities ln Delta Over Exclusion From NMCN Exam

Activities at the Central Bank of Nigeria, (CBN), Asaba office and the Delta State Library complex were yesterday disrupted over the protest by students of Delta State owned nursing and midwifery schools.

The over 300 students protested in Asaba over their exclusion from the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria (NMCN) examination.

The protest by the students Tuesday morning at the Delta State Library complex next to the CBN along Maryam Babangida Way in Asaba stalled activities at the Apex bank before security men at the bank mobilised for additional security men that restricted the protest to the library complex.

The students who also stopped and frustrated the conduct of the examination complained that majority of them were excluded from the examination as they were not given index number and green card after paying the necessary fees.

One of the students, Bethel Matthew from the state school of Nursing, Eku, said they have decided to take their destinies in their own hands by ensuring that nobody wrote the examination except all of them are cleared.

According to her, all the students in Eku, Warri and Agbor paid the required fee of N98,000.00 and additional N15,000.00 for computer facilities.

“We are here because the LMC or whoever is involved has refused to allow us write examination. They read out only 50 names to write the examination. Only from Eku, we are over 170 students, Agbor and Warri not inclusive.

“Just about 12 mid night, the Director of Nursing Services (DNS) for Agbor and Eku Nursing Schools, Azuaye, came with bouncers, and without apology, she said some people are not writing the exam for technological issues.

“She threatened us with a voice note attached to it that if we dare to protest, the police will arrest us. We are not protesting, we are only demanding that they allow us to write exam.

“They are not telling us why we are not writing but what we are saying is that if we are not writing, DELSU is not writing because they want to take DELSU students out to write the examination elsewhere,” she alleged.

State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Mordi Ononye who rushed to the venue to address the students, assured that the examination will not hold until the issues are sorted.

As at the time of writing this report, the students have padlocked the library gate, sat in from of the gate and make sure the bus that was stationed inside the library to convey some of the students to the examination venue could not come out just as over three Hilux load of security men are at the area.