The House of Representatives has halted the revised guidelines set by the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria (NMCN) for the verification of certificates for nurses and midwives.
The decision was reached following a motion of urgent public importance raised by Rep. Patrick Umoh (APC-Akwa-Ibom) during Tuesday’s plenary in Abuja.
The revised guidelines, dated February 7, 2024, were slated to take effect on March 1, 2024. The key points included a stipulation that applicants for verification must possess a minimum of two years of post-qualification experience from the date of obtaining a permanent practice license.
This requirement involves securing a letter of good standing from the CEO of the applicant’s workplace and the last training institution attended, with the processing time expected to be a minimum of six months.
The House of Representatives decision
Rep. Umoh argued that the two-year post-qualification experience prerequisite was unreasonable, arbitrary, and unfair.
- He expressed concerns that it could impede the educational pursuits of nurses seeking further training or skills enhancement in foreign universities.
- Moreover, the motion highlighted the demand for applicants to secure a letter of good standing from their employers, deeming it a potential source of forced labor.
- This requirement, according to Rep. Umoh, could subject applicants to the arbitrary decisions of their employers, resembling a form of modern slavery.
The House, adopting the motion, urged the NMCN to postpone the implementation of the revised guidelines pending an investigation by the House.
The House Committees on Health Institutions and Legislative Compliance were mandated to ensure compliance with this resolution and investigate the controversies surrounding the revised guidelines, with a report expected within six weeks.
*Very useful information .
*Dropping new rules without considering others is not a good sign of a leader.
*Pls this should be revoked.
Good one. I am highly disappointed with that decision in the first place. This Quick intervention by House of representative on the issue of certificate verification is a welcome idea.
They should rather face what is eating the profession than making mockery of it and that is quackery which should be eradicated
This is not a good attribute of a leader.
Nursing is an epitome of humility, service and care. Surely this decision without considering those under is a professional slavery because some CEO’s will use this as a key to enslave some of their workers (Nurses).
They want these Nurses to go to their CEOs for a letter of good standing before verifying their results in their OWN nursing council,
This doesn’t add up at all
If you don’t want your Nurses leaving the country, give them employment cos there are thousands of them out there jobless
This is a welcome decision by the house of Representative. I expect the Nursing council to have first presented this obnoxious and slavery amendments to the house before making it a law for Nurses.
May God bless Rep.. Umoh. At least for seeing reasons why this should be halted. Please, let’s return to the status quo. There are more serious issues ravaging the profession. Let’s start from there first.
What they are trying to curb may boomerang at the long run because there would be lack of interest in the nursing profession, reduction in nursing intake and training in Nigeria. Thereby resulting still in shortage of nurses in Nigeria.
Halting this verification guidelines is a welcome Idea, there are so many issues on ground that need emergency intervention eg quackery, lack of jobs, lack of motivation, poor remuneration especially in the private sector etc let the above be tackled first.
I wish the House takes measures as well and wake the sleeping board of Community Health Practitioners Board of Nigeria to the challenges of raising the educational standards of her members ie to making it more scientific in nature.. Certificates regulations, training and control illegal proliferation of schools
This intervention by the Reps. is highly welcome. The said revised guideline is slavery in disguise.
It should be thrown away and the brain behind it sent to a psychiatric hospital. He/she is not normal.