"We want to assure you that the College will not intentionally deny anyone an opportunity to get the best training and capacity enhancement in healthcare services."

Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo State has ordered a reassessment of a nursing student whose admission was terminated by the College of Nursing Sciences, Benin City, on health grounds.

The student, Precious Umoru, was offered admission following her success at a computer-based test conducted by the college but upon arrival at the hostel it was discovered she has "unstable gait and tremors."

Unstable or unsteady gait and tremors is a sign of muscle weakness or abnormal cerebral function or basal ganglia disease caused by damage to the cerebellum and its pathways to other brain regions often from stroke or tumor or inherited disorder.

"A meeting was called between the Counselling Department of the College and Miss Umoru's parents, where the nature and history of her condition were reviewed to reach a fair decision on her physical fitness for the College's rigorous training," Patricia Ukaigwe, the provost of the College said in a statement on Tuesday.

"As part of this process, a preliminary assessment was conducted which had suggested that she might not be able to withstand the physical rigours of midwifery training."

Mrs Ukaigwe, a professor, said Governor Obaseki, upon learning about the case, intervened and requested that a fresh assessment be conducted and that the student be provided with all the required support for her condition.

The college, the provost said, would conduct the reassessment on the student on Thursday after which the public will be updated on the exercise.

"We want to assure you that the College will not intentionally deny anyone an opportunity to get the best training and capacity enhancement in healthcare services," Mrs Ukaigwe said.