The students revealed that despite paying all required fees, including tuition, lecture materials, and hostel accommodations, they were left feeling “scammed, abandoned, and helpless.”
Students of the Maurid Institute of Management and Technology, better known as Maurid Polytechnic, in Akwa Ibom State, have accused the institution of breaching academic commitments, leaving them stranded without the promised certifications after four years of study.
The affected students, who were admitted in 2020 to study Nursing Administration, claim the institution failed to fulfill its pledge to issue certificates through its affiliation with Imo State University (IMSU).
The students revealed that despite paying all required fees, including tuition, lecture materials, and hostel accommodations, they were left feeling “scammed, abandoned, and helpless.”
The students told SaharaReporters that the situation took a dire turn during the second semester of their second year when Maurid Polytechnic announced the termination of its affiliation with IMSU and the discontinuation of the Nursing Administration programme.
“This announcement was devastating,” one student told SaharaReporters.
“Despite our protests and cries for justice, we were forced to choose between transferring to the Public Health Department or the Environmental Health Department. It was an impossible choice for many of us.”
Following the programme’s cancellation, students who opted to continue in Public Health were assured they would receive bachelor’s degrees through Gregory University in Abia State, albeit with potential delays in National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) mobilization.
However, the students were recently informed that they would instead be issued Biochemistry certificates through Temple Gate Polytechnic, Abia State, raising further questions about the credibility of their qualifications.
“This new revelation feels like another betrayal,” another affected student lamented.
“We invested four years of our lives, and now we are being issued certificates in a completely different field.”
One of the students said, "Like many others, we paid all required fees, including tuition, lecture materials, and hostel accommodation, fully trusting the school’s assurances.
"However, during the second semester of our second year, we were informed that the affiliation with Imo State University had been withdrawn, and the Nursing Administration programme was no longer available.
"This announcement was devastating. Despite our protests and cries for justice, we were forced to choose between two alternatives: Transfer to the Public Health Department and transfer to the Environmental Health Department.
"Most of us opted for Public Health after being promised that: Our Public Health certificates would be issued through Gregory University, Abia State, though they might be delayed until after NYSC," a student stated.
"We would receive Biochemistry certificates through Temple Gate Polytechnic for NYSC mobilisation.
A female student told SaharaReporters that reluctantly, they continued with their studies and graduated in 2024.
"Since then, however, the situation has only worsened. The school has failed to issue our promised certificates, and now we are being told that Gregory University has withdrawn its affiliation with Maurid Polytechnic, meaning there will be no Public Health certification. Instead, we are being asked to "make do" with Biochemistry certificates, which many of us have yet to receive.
"This is a clear betrayal of trust and a violation of our rights as students. Maurid Polytechnic has wasted four years of our lives, left us stranded without proper certification, and played with our futures. We feel scammed, abandoned, and helpless," she said.
According to the student, "We are appealing to the public, the media, and all relevant authorities to help us hold Maurid Polytechnic accountable. We need justice for the time, money, and efforts we invested in pursuing an education that has left us with nothing but heartbreak.
"Please help us spread the word and bring attention to this issue so that no other students have to suffer such an injustice in the future," the students said.
When SaharaReporters contacted Dr Godwin Umontuen, the Chairman of Maurid Group, on Friday, he claimed that all students were admitted as National Diploma students.
He said the issue that caused the uproar was related to something that happened around two or three years ago.
According to him, "I am not the director of the school, but my attention was drawn to an affiliation. I decided to let them handle it on their own, but I went there personally to oversee it. We signed an understanding with the university. I signed on behalf of Maurid, and the Vice-Chancellor of the university also signed.
"My people had written to them, and when it was time to sign the MOU, I personally went there and signed the MOU on behalf of Maurid. The vice chancellor of the university then signed on behalf of the university. We have the signed document, and we have been in communication with them."
He said, "As a matter of fact, they’ve issued certificates to students in some departments, but not in public health."
Dr Umontuen told SaharaReporters that some students graduated last year, and for the first time, they were supposed to receive their degree in public health.
"It's a top-up programme, not that we don’t have our own programmes. All students are admitted as national diploma students, and by this year, they should be able to complete their programme. Unfortunately for us, this year, the vice chancellor, the registrar, and other key officials were changed, and the new people came in and decided not to continue with some of these affiliations. This change has affected our institution as well."
He said the only mistake the head of the department made was failing to inform the students when the arrangement for that particular department was discontinued. Instead, he continued giving the students hope that they would graduate with a degree. "We own up to that mistake," he stated.
He said, "In our institution, we offer both National Diplomas and Higher National Diplomas, as well as professional certification for a practising licence to our students. I showed the students the letter they wrote to us and the response we received. I explained that accreditation cannot happen immediately. Accreditation processes are still incomplete, and your exams aren’t finished yet."
Dr. Umontuen said he told the students that they still needed to complete their project work and have one more year of Industrial Training (IT) before proceeding to their National Youth Service Corps (NYSC).
"You’ll be indexed when you return home. They are finishing their exams by the end of this month. If they go home by December or January, we will proceed with the Public Health Practitioners Council, and they will be indexed. By June, they will write their professional exams and their professional certificates will be awarded. After that, they can mobilise for NYSC.
"I don't know how else I could have explained this to the students. These four students, after leaving my office, went on to claim that I confirmed to them that they wouldn’t be getting degrees. I told them clearly, "I cannot lie at my age."
In a different letter obtained by SaharaReporters, it was revealed that the management of Maurid Polytechnic paid the sum of one million naira to the Public Health Practitioners Council of Nigeria for accreditation.
The letter, signed by the Rector of Maurid Polytechnic, Augustine Ukit, on November 2, 2024, confirmed the payment.