Nandom, Upper West Region, June 16, 2026 – Students of the Nandom Midwifery Training College on Tuesday staged a protest against the proposed return of their former principal, Miss Barbara Nabia Sagbil, describing the decision as unacceptable and warning that it could reignite tensions on campus.
The students, dressed in their school uniforms and wearing red armbands, marched to the offices of the Nandom Municipal Assembly to present their grievances to authorities.
According to the students, Miss Sagbil served as Principal of the Nandom Midwifery Training College from February 2019 until October 2025, when she was transferred to the Seikwa Nursing and Midwifery Training College.
The students alleged that during her nearly seven-year tenure, relations between management and sections of the college community became strained due to what they described as an autocratic leadership style, poor communication, and a failure to adequately engage students and staff on matters affecting the institution.
News of her reported reposting to Nandom has therefore been met with strong resistance from students, who insist they do not want her to return.
Speaking to Yiri News, student representative Miss Haruna Rashida said many students were deeply concerned about the possibility of reliving what they described as difficult experiences under the former principal’s administration.
“We lived under her administration for almost seven years and we know what we went through. Students felt ignored and many concerns affecting our welfare were not properly addressed. We are appealing to the authorities to listen to our concerns before taking any decision,” she said.
Another student, Miss Amoakoah Joyce, said the institution needed leadership that would unite stakeholders and focus on addressing the many challenges confronting the college.
“The school is already struggling with inadequate infrastructure and accommodation challenges. What we need now is a leadership style that promotes dialogue and collaboration so that the problems affecting students can be solved,” she stated.
Miss Zuweira Mwinibimbu also appealed to the authorities to reconsider the decision.
“Our protest is not intended to disrespect anybody. We are only expressing our fears based on our previous experiences. We want a peaceful academic environment where students can concentrate on their studies and training,” she said.
The students accused the former principal of being dismissive of concerns raised by students, teaching staff and non-teaching staff. They further alleged that she was unwilling to engage stakeholders in finding solutions to challenges confronting the institution.
Some students also alleged that monies collected from students during her tenure were not always matched by the provision of the expected items or services. They called on the appropriate authorities to investigate the matter.
The protesters recalled a demonstration by final-year students in February 2022 over the payment of feeding fees during a period when students were undertaking clinical attachments outside the school. The incident reportedly required police intervention to maintain calm on campus.
Several students who participated in Tuesday’s demonstration argued that they had endured what they described as seven years of “tyrannical” leadership and had no desire to return to that experience.
“We survived seven years under her leadership and we have had enough,” one protesting student told Yiri News. “The same leadership style that created tension in Nandom is what, in our view, led to the resistance she faced in Seikwa. We do not want to go through that experience again.”
The students further alleged that Miss Sagbil’s tenure at the Seikwa Nursing and Midwifery Training College lasted only a few months before she was removed following protests by students and staff there.
Beyond leadership concerns, the demonstrators highlighted serious infrastructural deficits confronting the college. According to them, the institution lacks adequate classroom and hostel facilities, forcing many students to rent accommodation in surrounding communities and walk long distances to attend lectures.
At the Nandom Municipal Assembly, the Municipal Chief Executive, Hon. Anthony Ziniel, met the students and listened to their concerns.
Addressing the gathering, the MCE appealed for calm and assured the students that their petition and grievances would be forwarded to the appropriate authorities for consideration.
He urged the students to remain peaceful while efforts were made to engage the relevant stakeholders on the matter.
The students, however, maintained that they remain firmly opposed to the reposting and called on the Ministry of Health and other relevant authorities to reconsider the decision in the interest of peace and academic stability at the college.
As of the time of filing this report, Miss Barbara Nabia Sagbil and the relevant authorities had not publicly responded to the allegations raised by the students.
Yiri News is making efforts to obtain responses from all parties involved.
