Clinical lecturers under the umbrella of Medical and Dental Consultants’ Association of Nigeria (MDCAN) at the University of Calabar (UNICAL) have embarked on an indefinite strike, to protest what they described as deliberate exclusion from the ongoing process to appoint a new Vice Chancellor.

The action followed the University Governing Council’s failure to revise a recent job advert that, according to the doctors, discriminated against clinical lecturers.

A letter to UNICAL Vice Chancellor and Governing Council members, jointly signed by Dr Patience Odusolu, chairman, and Dr Ehiosun Aigbomian, secretary, indicated that the protest stemmed from a vacancy notice published in the Daily Sun newspaper on May 27, 2025, which stipulated that candidate for the position of Vice Chancellor must hold a PhD.

But, the MDCAN leadership contended that the clause effectively disqualified its members, many of whom hold the Medical Fellowship qualification, a globally recognized terminal degree for clinical academic staff.  The Association said they had in an earlier petition to the Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the Governing Council, expressed utmost dismay at the advert, stressing that the requirement is a premeditated and intentional disenfranchisement of qualified medical and dental specialists.  

It noted that the exclusion violates guidelines issued by the Federal Ministry of Education, which recommend inclusive criteria for Vice Chancellor recruitment across federal universities.

MDCAN referenced similar incidents, particularly at the Nnamdi Azikiwe University, where a similar exclusionary process reportedly led to major unrest and required presidential intervention.

It further highlighted that other prominent federal institutions, including Ahmadu Bello University and the University of Benin, have issued more inclusive VC appointment adverts in line with best practices.

It noted that despite a formal engagement with the Pro-Chancellor on June 3 and follow-up memos dated June 2 and June 9, the university’s Governing Council was yet to respond or amend the publication, hence the decision of the MDCAN at its emergency meeting held on June 13, 2025, to declare indefinite strike and withdrawal of services by all clinical lecturers in the school and the University Teaching Hospital.

The association said the strike is expected to disrupt academic activities within the college of medical sciences and health services at the university’s teaching hospital, where many clinical lecturers serve dual roles as medical educators and consultants.

Meanwhile, similar tension is also mounting at the University of Uyo (UNIUYO) as medical consultants and clinical lecturers under the umbrella of MDCAN, University of Uyo Teaching Hospital (UUTH) chapter, have expressed outrage over what they described as deliberate exclusion from the ongoing selection process for the office of Vice Chancellor, and could declare a strike soon.

The association in a petition addressed to the University Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the Governing Council, condemned the criteria outlined in a vacancy advert published on May 29, 2025, which, they said, was designed to disenfranchise medical academics and favour a narrow group within the university.

The letter jointly signed by the Chairman of MDCAN University of Uyo, Dr Ibiok Uendiah, and the Secretary, Dr Solomon Bassey, respectively, indicated that the advert’s insistence that applicants must hold a PhD is not only discriminatory, but fails to recognize the long-established and government-approved qualification pathway for clinical lecturers, which is the Medical Fellowship.

The association warned that if the discriminatory advert is not withdrawn and revised, inclusive version published, they may be forced to resume their previously suspended strike.

“We cannot guarantee industrial harmony if these policies are not reversed. Our suspended industrial action was originally paused in good faith to allow management to address long-standing concerns.

“We have given the Governing Council a two-week window ending July 1, 2025, to take corrective action, and failure to address the matter could trigger a full-scale disruption of academic and health services,” they said.

Daily Sun Credited.

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Perhaps, when getting up from bed on Monday, December 16, 2024, Mrs Ijeoma Helen Ugwu’s expectation was to attend the Maiden ESUT College of Medicine Annual Merit Award, as a an awardee, collect “whatever the management got to offer” and retire home for the day.

Little did she know that God and destiny has a date for her as she attended the award ceremony as a casual worker but left as a Permanent Staff!

Delivering his speech the Pro Chancellor and Chairman, ESUT Governing Council, Chief Chinyeaka Ohaa, who flew into the state from Abuja for the ceremony, described the award ceremony as the nerve of the university in attaining its set targets of academic excellence and staff welfare.

He recounted that the award ceremony was dear to him and that he wouldn’t have been absent from it. While appreciating the management of the College for the innovation, Chief Ohaa further made two declarations;

“The management has already announced that the awardees would receive a token of N50, 000 each. Let me also add that the Board will add N50, 000 to make it N100, 000. That means each of the recipients will receive N100, 000.

“I am delighted in the calibre of the nominees for the award because I have known some of them. Prof Ezugwu has been a friend and brother, likewise others.

“However, the height of my happiness is that a casual staff is among the nominees. I have been in the system and know that to be a casual staff is not easy. The stipends you are paid don’t take you anywhere.

“To our sister and mother, Helen Ugwu, Thank you for all you are doing. This shows that you treasure and value your position as a casual staff. However, I want to assure you that from today, you are no more a casual work, you are now a permanent staff. If you can emerge as the best in your current “casual position” how much more when you become a permanent staff. You deserve it, and congratulations,” the Pro Chancellor said.

Mrs Ijeoma Helen Ugwu’s Profile

Mrs Helen Ugwu, one hails from Ee-Obara in Nsukka Local Government Area.

She had her primary and secondary education at Community Primary School Odo-Akpu, Onitsha and Pinnacle Comprehensive Secondary School Transekulu, Enugu State.

She joined ESUCOM in 2015 as a casual worker, a cleaner deployed to the hostels, with her exceptional diligence and dedication to service, always willing to give in her best to keeping her place of assignment very clean. Even when her supervisor calls her out for duties away from her duty point, she patiently, without complains and murmuring do it perfectly and reverts to the supervisor.

She is always willing to assist her colleagues through the job and with a sound relationship with them all

Mrs Helen Ugwu is happily married to Mr Elias Ugwu, with 5 children

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