By Terna Chikpa, Jalingo
The management of Taraba State College of Nursing and Midwifery, Jalingo, on Friday denied allegations that it was extorting N5,250 from students following the disbursement of the NELFUND loan.
The institution clarified that each student is required to pay a total of ₦12,000 for certain academic and clinical training materials.
In a statement issued by the college’s Public Relations Officer, Gideon David Jimenda, the management described claims circulating on social media and allegedly authored by one Abdulmumin Imam as misleading and aimed at tarnishing the reputation of the institution.
According to the statement, the publication does not reflect the true situation regarding the financial charges imposed on students.
“The management of the College of Nursing, including the Provost, has at no time requested any amount of money from students after the NELFUND loan disbursement. The social media report by one Abdulmumin Imam is false and does not reflect the true situation in the school.
“The management wishes to clearly state that a total of ₦12,000 is required from every student of the institution for certain academic and clinical materials used for training,” the statement said.
It explained that the breakdown of the charges includes ₦4,000 for a clinical logbook, ₦2,500 for the balance of the record of instruction, ₦4,000 for an entrepreneurial logbook and table used during entrepreneurship training to monitor students’ progress, and ₦1,500 for administrative and bank charges.
The management further noted that the materials are not produced by the college but are supplied directly by the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria in Abuja as part of the standard training requirements for nursing students nationwide.
It added that the charges are legitimate academic requirements applicable to all students of the institution, including both beneficiaries and non-beneficiaries of the NELFUND loan.
The statement also disclosed that an investigation has commenced to ascertain the facts surrounding the claim.
“Following the speculation, the students concerned were invited for an interface with the college management, and some of them admitted having knowledge of the write-up.
“For further clarification, their phones were collected in order to verify their involvement, which was later confirmed. The college has taken the matter seriously, and appropriate investigations are currently ongoing by the relevant authorities to ascertain the facts,” the statement added.
While reaffirming its commitment to supporting the educational policies of Governor Agbu Kefas aimed at ensuring access to quality education, the management urged members of the media to always verify facts from credible sources before publishing information.
“While the college management advises members of the media and the public to always verify information before publishing in order to avoid misinformation, we wish to state that at no time was the management contacted by any media organisation for clarification before the information was circulated to the public,” the statement concluded.
