By Donald Ojebo
THE Delta Ministry of Health has commenced the refund of unauthorized fees charged students in the State-owned Colleges of Nursing Asaba and Sapele by the Department of Nursing.
The Delta State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Joseph Onojaeme who made the disclosure today (Tuesday) during the refund exercise at the State College of Nursing Asaba said, “His Excellency, the Governor of Delta State, Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori has graciously approved the immediate refund of all unauthorized levies charged students of the State Colleges of Nursing Asaba and Sapele respectively”.
Dr. Onojaeme said the gesture was as result of the concern of the Governor that parents and students were not to be financially overburdened especially during this period of economic difficulty arising from current inflation trend in the country.
Dr. Onojaeme stated that in response to the complaints of the students and after a careful study of same that certain fees among other fees charged were not authorized, the Governor directed the immediate stoppage of the charges and immediate refund to the affected students.
He said that the Governor condemned the practice and has directed that such illegal levies outside the statutorily approved payments should be immediately refunded to the affected students.
According to the Commissioner “a total of 162 students were affected; 152 from the College of Nursing Asaba comprising Years 1,2, 3 and PTS class while 10 students were affected in the College of Nursing Sapele.
The President of the Student Union Government, College of Nursing Asaba, Oghenekevwe Asakpa, in company of the Union’s Executive, expressed gratitude to the Governor Oborevwori-led administration for giving them a listening ear as regards their earlier complaints on the illegal levies and approving the stoppage of same.
She used the medium to thank the Health Commissioner, the Director Nursing Services in the Ministry and others who one way or the other contributed to the realization of the stoppage of the illegal levies and the refund of the monies to all the affected students.
*Credit: Ministry of Information News bulletin