Emmanuel Ugwu-Nwogo in Umuahia
The Abia State government would probe the widespread allegations of unwholesome practices in the admission process into government owned Nursing schools.
Students and their parents had last week protested at government house gate and had expressed their grievances over perceived corruption in the recent Preliminary Test Sessions (PTS) examinations into the nursing schools.
In a statement issued at the weekend by the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Public Communication, Mr. Dodoh Okafor, made available to the media, government acknowledged the unfortunate development.
He said the Governor Alex Otti government being “responsive and sensitive to the feelings of its citizens, is seriously concerned about the bribery and other forms of process distortions” as alleged by the affected students and their parents.
However, the SSA stated that, in order to get to the root of the matter, the Abia government would only act based on, “facts and established evidence, and not on hearsay and conjectures”.
He, therefore urged aggrieved students and their parents “to write a formal petition” to Governor Otti “stating all the issues and providing reliable, foolproof evidence to substantiate their allegations”.
Okafor further stated that the petitions should be sent to the Office of the Chief of Staff to the Governor as quickly as possible so that government could properly address the issues raised.
“We assure that every allegation would be painstakingly investigated and all accused called to present their side of the story. Nobody will be shielded and nothing will be swept under the carpet,” he said.
According to the SSA, Otti “is committed to running a transpernt and sincere administration where international standard practices would be adhered to in all issues regarding service delivery.”
“We therefore encourage all who believe that something had gone wrong in the admission process into the nursing schools to put their facts together and present to the government as well as be ready to follow up by appearing to testify when called upon,” the SSA said.
“Nobody will be victimised in any way for stating what they know to be true,” he added.
The governor’s spokesman noted that, in order to ensure that no hanky-panky played out in the admissions process, Otti “had already directed that nobody should honour any illegitimate request allegedly coming from him.”
He said: “The Governor had severally emphasised that his only interest in the admissions process in institutions owned by the state is for the rules of meritocracy to be followed.
“Whether at ABSU medical or law schools, the governor had made it clear that he has no candidate neither does he have any list.
“In the New Abia, allegations of corruption and dishonesty in service delivery will never be swept under the carpet and nobody who attempts to short-change hardworking Abians of what is due them will be spared. This is a new regime and the ways of the past shall no longer hold.”
Okafor reiterated that the present administration was committed to transparency in all government businesses across the ministries, departments and parastatals(MDAs).
He requested that anybody with evidence of corruption, extortion or acts of dishonesty against any official of this present government in the state (should) kindly bring it forward.
“We are committed to sincere and honest services, in line with the electoral expectations of the people who voted in Dr. Alex Otti into office.
“Nobody who attempts to use public office to pursue private gains will remain in the new system for long,” he said.
