By Austin Ogwuda
ONE of the Lecturers attached to the School of Nursing Agbor, Delta State, Nigeria is presently facing trial for allegedly demanding money from students in exchange of higher scores.
Delta State Commissioner for Health, Dr Joseph Onojaeme who disclosed this while fielding questions from newsmen in his office on Tuesday, made it clear that he is on a mission to clean the Augean stable.
He used the occasion to debunk newspaper and online reports pointing accusing fingers at him to the effect that massive corruption ranging from admission racketeering to various illegal collections were perpetrated in the various Nursing Schools under his nose.
The Commissioner revealed what is taking place is a case of corruption fighting back, pointing out that since certain key persons were eased out of the system, there has been subterranean move to fight back through sabotage.
According to him, “There is a Lecturer who collected money for scores. That Lecturer will be severely dealt with. First of all, we are transferring him from Agbor School of Nursing and we are setting up a panel because you cannot just accuse a staff without doing investigation. But I am assuring you if at the end of investigation he is found wanting he will be severely dealt with.
“We don’t take the issue of corruption for granted.
Also there is a Provost at Asaba who was occupying a position ought not to, so when I came back from Abuja where I went to see the Registrar of Nursing Council, I stepped down the Provost today (Tuesday).
“We don’t play with the issue of extortion from students, it is against the M-O-R-E Agenda; anything that is against the M-O-R-E Agenda we take it with all seriousness.
“Obviously, there are remnants of corruption in the system and is a very difficult thing because if you look at it carefully the students themselves, some of them are used to pay for scores now there is nothing like that, you must read to pass your exams.
“They (students) are used to the old system of payments to pass exams which we will not tolerate because the medical profession is a very noble profession. We are producing doctors, nurses who will take care of Deltans and if you allow a defaulted structure to continue, is going to tell on all of us.
“So, we must do the right thing. Corruption is fighting back. As I said earlier before students pay money to get admission, those who have money pay to pass. As a result some of them wouldn’t want to read again and we are talking about a profession that takes care of human beings, we must bring out the best from the Schools not quacks or half-baked”, he stated.
On the achievements the State Ministry of Health recorded within the past one year, the Commissioner listed significant drop in maternal mortality rate, child mortality rate, improved welfare package for the health personnel, sanitization of the rotten system met on the ground leading to the sacking of over 200 ghost workers on the payroll of the Delta State University Teaching Hospital (DELSUTH), Oghara after staff audit exercise, among several others.
Caption: Delta State Commissioner for Health, Dr Joseph Onojaeme
