Madonna University Students Revolt Over Suspension Of Final Year Nursing Students

Chancellor Of Madonna University, Prof Father Edeh

Students of the Madonna University, Elele Campus in Port- Harcourt , Rivers State are revolting over what they described as unlawful suspension of final year Nursing Students.

The Students, who have already threatened to institute a legal action against the school authority, are also calling on the National Universities Commission (NUC) to wade into the ongoing illegality perpetrated by the Rev. Father Emannuel Edeh owned Missionary University.

The management of the institution had last Friday handed a suspension letter to 30 of 169 Nursing students in what was many see as controversial, Illegal and unwarranted suspension.



According to the letter of suspension, the students were sent home for one academic session for absconding from School and over staying their posting period for clinical exposure at the Federal Medical Center (FMC) Owerri.

The le‎tter reads: “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 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 University Management said in a letter signed by the School registrar C. A Ezeh dated November 20, 2014 but handed over to the 30 affected students on December 5, 2014.

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 meant to live inside a room.


This situation was immediately rejected by many of the students who rather that live in the rented apartment, opted to put up with their parents, guardians and friends in Owerri.

It was against this backdrop that the school management chose to use its sledge hammer on the final year students whose school fees was recently hiked from N400, 000 to about 560, 000.

The person allegedly behind the students suspension was said to be one Rev. Sister Mark Anthony, who allegedly pocketed about N1. 8 Million meant to rent an accommodation for the students.

“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 only 69 students.

“Rev Anthony had threatened that most of the students, who opposed their being forced into the rented school accommodation would be suspended for one academic session even before the Senate of the University sat to look into the matter.

” Madona University is just looking for ways to short change its students so that their parents and guardians will have to cough out N560, 000 for the 30 suspended stundent 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”, one of the affected students asked.

“We want the Federal Ministry of Education, particularly the National Universities Commission ‎to redress this abnormally before the situation deteriorates further”, another suspended student said.
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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 taking against them”.

Efforts to reach the proprietor of the institution, Reverend Father Emmanuel Edeh met brick walls as he was not responding to calls.