Choi, Eyaaaaah!
About 30 nursing students of Madonna University Elele has been suspended for one full academic year by the school management for allegedly absconding from the school rented apartment and over staying their posting period for clinical exposures at the Federal Medical Centre (FMC) Owerri, Imo state.
According to Nigerian Times, The suspension letter reads in part:
“Investigation and evidence brought before the Senate committee on discipline revealed that you (30 suspended students) absconded from the original accommodation (hostel) assigned to you by the university during your clinical at Owerri and rented a house outside without the school’s authorization.
“Consequently, the University authority has decided that you should be suspended from the institution for one academic year.
Accordingly, you are hereby suspended. Your due date for resumption of studies in the campus will be October 2015.”
The media reported that the letter was signed by the university’s registrar, C. A Ezeh, and dated November 20, 2014, but handed to the 30 affected students on December 5, 2014.
It also confirmed that trouble started when a total of 169 nursing students who were on a clinical exposure at FMC Owerri were forced by the Madonna University Management to reside in a rented 14 rooms apartment where about 12 students were made to live inside a room.
Many of the students immediately rejected this arrangement, opting rather to put up with their parents, guardians and friends in Owerri.
It was against this backdrop that the university management chose to use their sledge hammer on the final year students whose tuition fees were recently hiked from
N400, 000 to about 560, 000.
According to one of the affected students, the person allegedly behind the students’ suspension is one Rev. Sister Mark Anthony, who allegedly pocketed about N1.8 million out of the money meant for their accommodation.
When quizzed, a student said: “Actually, an accommodation was rented by Rev. Sister Anthony for 69 students, but the Rev sister chose to pocket part of the money and squeezed 169 students into a facility that was originally meant for only 69 students.
“Rev Sister Anthony had threatened that most of the students who opposed their being forced into the rented school accommodation would embark on suspension
for one academic session, even before the Senate of the university sat to take a look into the matter.
“Madona University is just looking for ways to shortchange its students so that their parents and guardians will have to cough out N560, 000 for the 30 suspended students and also
pay another N560,000 when students resume from their suspension. This is unacceptable.
Where are we going to get the money? Why is this happening at this time in Nigeria?”
“We want the Federal Ministry of Education and the National Universities Commission to redress this abnormally before the situation deteriorates further,” another suspended student said.
Meanwhile, leader of the disciplinary committee set up by the institution, Mr Forbella, however said the decision to suspend the students was reached after the University Senate met.
“It was realized that some of the students ran foul of laws governing Madonna University, hence a punitive measure was taken against them while others were freed,” he said.
Efforts were made to reach the proprietor of the school, Reverend Father Emmanuel Edeh, to react on the matter but he was not picking his calls.
