The Maurid Institute of Management and Technology, Mbiaso, Akwa Ibom State has debunked allegations bordering on illegally admitting students into its public health programme.

In a statement in Abuja on Saturday, the institute’s Registrar, Dr Tom FredFish, called on the public to disregard such an allegation made on social media, describing it as baseless.

Mr FredFish said the Department of Public Health Science of the institution admitted students to study National Diploma in Public Health as well as a Higher National Diploma in Public Health Science.

He said that the institute signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Gregory University, Uturu, Abia State, to offer a top-up degree programme for the course.

He said, “The institute wishes to clear the air on an allegation making the rounds on social media against the management and Chairman of the institution’s Governing Board, Dr Godwin Umontuen. In the first place, the institute is licensed by the Federal Government of Nigeria through the National Board for Technical Education. It is listed on the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board for admission into the institution. Thus, having acquired the legal status to operate, the institution has, over the years, admitted and graduated students from its various approved departments,’’ Mr FredFish said.

He traced the controversy to Gregory University which he said backed out of the MoU because it could not meet its enrolment quota.

He stated, “The current controversy started when Gregory University informed us that they would no longer issue the degree as stipulated in our Memorandum of Understanding because of their low quota. Our institution immediately informed the students of the new development to keep them abreast and aware that it intends to offer them ND and HND as contained in their admission letter. This is to facilitate the quick indexing of students into the National Association of Public Health Science for their Council Examination and subsequent licensing.’’

The registrar further said while working to ensure the speedy actualisation of the process, the institution was surprised to see the publications against it.

He added, “To ensure that students from the department graduate with their qualifying certification, the institution has taken solid steps to ensure that graduating students from the department are licensed and inducted into the National Association of Public Health Science. The institution, after a preliminary investigation, suspended two of its staff members who were culpable of misinforming, misleading, and misdirecting the students on the issuance of a degree certificate in public health science. We moved swiftly to acquire provisional approval from National Association of Public Health Science to recruit students for the award of National Diploma in Public Health and Higher National Diploma in Public Health.’’

He said the school also scheduled its students to join their counterparts in other higher institutions nationwide.

He noted that the institution also invited students to take the bi-annual examination on December 2 and 3, with registration/documentation to hold on November 23.

(NAN)