The Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, has directed the University of Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, to withdraw its current advertisement for the position of Vice-Chancellor in the institution and publish a revised version which is inclusive.

The directive follows a protest by the clinical lecturers under the aegis of the Medical and Dental Consultants Association of Nigeria, which had threatened to embark on strike over what it described as discriminatory criteria in the selection process.

The development comes as clinical lecturers at the University of Calabar called off their indefinite strike.

The clinical lecturers raised concerns over the advert’s qualification requirements, which they argued unfairly excluded medical professionals holding fellowships from eligibility.

The MDCAN insisted that the institutions must withdraw the advertorial announcing a vacancy for the vice-chancellors and accommodate its members.

In a memo dated June 13, 2025, and addressed to the Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the Governing Council of the University of Uyo, the group warned that unless the advert was amended, it would take industrial action.

MDCAN subsequently issued a two-week ultimatum, set to expire on July 1, 2025, demanding that the university revise the criteria to ensure fairness and inclusivity in the appointment process.

Speaking to our correspondent on Monday, the National President of MDCAN, Prof Muhammad Muhammad, confirmed that Dr Alausa had intervened directly.

Prof Muhammad said the minister explicitly instructed UNIUYO to retract the existing advert and reissue a version that accommodates both PhD and Fellowship qualifications.

“We had a conference call yesterday (Sunday) with the Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, and the Pro-Chancellor of UNIUYO, and the minister explicitly instructed UNIUYO to retract the existing advert and reissue a version that does not sideline anyone.

“The university management and the MDCAN in the university will be meeting today or tomorrow to conclude on the matter and the way forward,” he noted.

Speaking on the UNICAL situation, Prof Mohammed said the matter had also been resolved.

“The matter has been sorted. The university has issued an addendum to the initial advert, now stating that individuals with either a PhD or a medical fellowship are eligible to apply for the Vice Chancellor position.

“Following this resolution, MDCAN members at the University of Calabar resumed their duties last week,” he said.

Explaining the distinction in training pathways between clinical and non-clinical academics in medicine, he said, “In clinical medicine, we don’t follow the conventional Master’s/PhD route. Our training is through a residency programme, which is both academic and clinical, lasting six to eight years and culminating in the award of a fellowship.

“It is this fellowship that qualifies one to be appointed as a consultant in hospitals and as a lecturer in universities. From Lecturer I, one progresses through the academic ranks up to professor, based on established criteria,” he added.

UNICAL lecturers had embarked on the industrial action on June 13 to also protest what they described as exclusion from the ongoing selection process for the position of vice-chancellor.

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President Bola Tinubu has appointed Bishop Matthew Kukah, the Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, as the Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the Governing Council of the Federal University of Applied Sciences, Kachia, Kaduna State.

Additionally, the President appointed principal officers for the university, including Prof. Qurix Williams Barnabas as Vice Chancellor, Sanusi Gambo Adamu as Registrar, Ibrahim Dalhat as bursar, and Prof. Daniel Abubakar as university Librarian.

President Tinubu also approved the appointment of Mr Thomas Etuh, representing the North Central, Chief Fabian Nwaora (South East), Prof Femi Taiwo (South West) and Zarah Bukar (North East). as members of the university’s Governing Council.

All the appointees were carefully selected based on their distinguished careers, leadership experience, and dedication to advancing education in Nigeria.

President Tinubu implored them to use their collective expertise to position the university as a hub for academic excellence and research, aligning with the administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda.

President Tinubu urged the newly appointed officers to provide visionary leadership and lay a solid foundation for the university’s growth as it prepares to admit its first cohort of students in September 2025.

The Federal University of Applied Sciences was formerly known as Nok University. It was renamed following the federal government’s takeover of its assets.

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The newly appointed Pro-Chancellor and Chairman, Governing Council of Enugu State University of Science and Technology, ESUT, Sir Chinyeaka Ohaa has identified priority areas that need urgent attention in tackling the challenges facing the university.

Speaking with ESUT Monitor shortly after their first Council Sitting on Tuesday following inauguration by the State governor, the former Permanent Secretary of FCT listed funding, insecurity, epileptic power supply as well as indiscipline as major issues that need to be holistically tackled if the needed new administrative drive will succeed.

Mr Ohaa who noted that no university can survive under such conditions, however said that the Council’s first sitting will provide a road map in tackling the challenges headlong

“The first sitting was very wonderful, there’s rendition of all the challenges and all the gains from the Vice-Chancellor and we are happy because the man has the full dossier of what you people are passing through in ESUT.

“Everything is anchored on funding, not only subvention, there are a lot of uncompleted projects here, there is no water and there is no steady electricity supply. No university will succeed in this type of environment. Students need to have a level of good environment for them to be able to learn and bring the best out of them

“Secondly is insecurity and disciplinary issues.

“We are going to tackle most of these things and then the students and lecturers relationships so that nobody will take advantage of any other. You know all these fraudulent practices, even students blackmailing lecturers; we will not tolerate that. If a lecturer is not meeting up with the standards expected of him, we are not going to tolerate that.

“We have looked into it, asked questions and we are looking at compiling a strategic document so we can articulate the best way the ruling plan.

“That strategic document we are going to come up with, is what will be our compass that will direct all our actions because after that we are going to discuss with the Visitor of the University, who is the governor of the state and from there we can take bearing.”

It could be recalled that the Enugu State Governor through a memo on Tuesday, March 12, 2024 announced the appointment of Sir Christian Chinyeaka Ohaa as a replacement for Most Revd. Bishop Godfrey Onah as the Pro-Chancellor and Chairman, Governing Council of the university.

Similarly, Prof. Uchenna Ekwochi replaces late Prof Innocent Okafor as Provost, ESUT College of Medicine, ESUCOM.

Other members of the board also approved by the Enugu State Governor, His Excellency, Dr Peter Ndubisi Mbah are: Prof. Ikenna Chukwu, Engr. James Ajibo Ifeanyi, Gladys Ngozi Okoro, Hon. Chinedu Onu and Dr. Eric Oluedo.

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