Ogun Current, Ex-Commissioners  Bicker Over Nursing, Midwifery Schools Accreditation 

The immediate past Commissioner for Health in Ogun State, Dr Babatunde Ipaye has tackled the Ogun State Government over its claim that it secured full accreditation for its schools of Nursing and Midwifery across the state for the first time in 45 years, describing same as a lie.

Ogun State Commissioner for Health, Tomi Coker, had Wednesday, during a press conference, claimed that Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria gave full accreditation to all Schools of Nursing and Midwifery for the first time in the 45 years history of Ogun State.

 Ipaye,however, in a statement titled ‘Ogun State School of Nursing Accreditation – The lies of Dapo Abiodun’s administration on 45 years and full accreditation’, said such unverified information was aimed at abridging the labour of past administrations in the State.

He  recalled that in 2017, a delegation from the Nursing Council of Nigeria visited all the five schools in Ogun State and gave them accreditation while numbers of students approved for admission were doubled.

He  said before 2017, the three Nursing Schools were under lock and key as they were shut down and couldn’t train nurses for many years.

According to Ipaye, the visiting team also described the school of Midwifery in Abeokuta as the best and most equipped in Nigeria.

He explained that two schools in Ijebu Ode and school of Midwifery, Aboukuta lost accreditations in 2010, a year before Senator Ibikunle Amosun, under whom he served in second term, became the Governor of the State.

He  also recalled how the Awujale and Paramount Ruler of Ijebuland, Oba (Dr) Sikiru Adetona raised a Committee chaired by Professor Lasun Gbadamosi to raise money for the renovation of the schools for accreditation.

He recalled how he rejected the offer insisting that it was responsibility of government, and how Governor Amosun later released a sum of N150 million to renovate and retool the three schools for accreditation.

He also revealed how his government bought official cars for the heads of the schools and secured accreditation for them.

Ipaye said:”On the 10th July 2017, the delegations of the Nursing Council of Nigeria visited all the five schools (3 Nursing and 2 Midwifery) in Ogun State. The five schools were given accreditations and the numbers of students approved for admission doubled.

“Prior to this, the three schools had been shut down and were under lock and therefore had not trained nurses for years.

“After the visitation, the accreditation team described the school of Midwifery Abeokuta as the best and most equipped in Nigeria.

“Senator Amosun released N150million to renovate and retool the 3 schools. We used the money to revive the 5 schools, we even bought official cars for head of schools and got accreditation for all.

“The two old schools were fully accredited and the three revived school were given partial accreditations as a matter of procedure because they had been deaccredited 6 years earlier.

“The head of the accreditation team regretted she couldn’t give full accreditation to School of Midwifery Abeokuta despite being the best and the most equipped she has ever seen in Nigeria up to that moment.

“The three revived schools were ‘automatically’ due for full accreditation based on the investment made before now. The last accreditation wouldn’t even have been given without the enabling law signed by Amosun.

“The bill to convert the schools to colleges of Nursing was passed by the 7th Assembly of Ogun State under Senator Ibikunle Amosun, the Bill was signed into law in 2017 prior to the accreditation visit by the Nursing Council.

“The Hon. Commissioner that declared arrogantly that the schools had existed for 45 years without full accreditation should make public the bill that converts these schools to degree awarding institutions.

“She should also tell the public how she got access to Mr. Ndagi of the Nursing Council who only allowed her leverage on the strength of the relationship already built with the Ibikunle Amosun administration.

“That law was facilitated by Dr. Soyinka the Commissioner before me. The immediate past Rt. Hon. Speaker Suraj (Ishola Adekunbi) and I took it to Governor Amosun to sign before the accreditation of 2017.”

On the 45 years claim, Ipaye recalled that the school of Nursing Ilaro was built from the scratch by Otunba Gbenga Daniel’s administration, wondering if Daniel had served 45 years ago.

He also noted that the two schools in Idi Aba, Abeokuta and Ijebu Ode were two of the best in South West Nigeria from the second Republic of the Chief Bisi Onanbanjo through to the administration of Chief. Segun Osoba, Otunba Gbenga Daniel and Senator Ibikunle Amosun.