Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi State

 The Kogi State Government has reaffirmed its commitment to rehabilitate the state’s tertiary institutions for conducive learning and research.

 Mrs Comfort Alege, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Education, said this at the occasion of Capping and Stripping (Matriculation) ceremony of Set 41 of College of Nursing and Midwifery in Obangede, Okene.

 Alege said that the government and its agents were doing everything possible to tackle the challenges of infrastructure, staffing and accreditation facing the institutions generally in the state.

 The special adviser, who was the Mother of the Day at the occasion, noted that the governor recently appointed a seven-man committee who had visited all the tertiary Institutions to ascertain the level of infrastructure decay.

 She added that “this assignment was carried out successfully and very soon the report would be submitted with cogent recommendations for rehabilitation, upgrade and improvement of institutions.

 “We are sure that Gov. Yahaya Bello would effect necessary actions to move institutions from their present state to a higher level of new direction,” she said.

 She, however, advised students to remain steadfast in their primary objective and urged them to study and work hard to make their parents and guardians proud at the end of their study.

 The Chairman of the occasion, Mr Deola Eseyin, who is the Special Adviser on Students Affairs to the governor, urged the management of the college to redouble their commitment to properly train students in spite of economic circumstances. 

Eseyin urged the students to be responsible ambassadors of their parents, stressing that “this profession demands total commitment and positive spirit and attitude because life is involved.

 “You must show decency and uprightness, shun immorality and vices.”

 Earlier, the Acting Provost of the College, Mrs Hannah Abraham, appealed to the state government to come to the aid of the college in terms of staffing, hostel accommodation, transportation, security, accreditation, among others.

 She said “I must confess here that all is not that rosy for the institution as far as Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria (NMCN) standard is concerned.

 “The standard recommended by the Council for staffing in the institution is ratio 10 to 1 Nursing Educator (nurse licenced to teach), even as the government tried to enhance quality teaching and learning, available data presently is ratio 15 to 1.

 “This is an indication that more hands are needed to take the institution to the desired full accreditation status after 12 years of provisional accreditation.

“More than 200 candidates were admitted but only 50 students are matriculating today due to the index by the NMCN as a result of inadequate human resources and infrastructure.” (NAN)