Clinical lecturers under the umbrella of MDCAN at the University of Calabar have embarked on an indefinite strike, protesting what they describe as deliberate exclusion from the ongoing process to appoint a new Vice Chancellor.
The action, led by the Medical and Dental Consultants’ Association of Nigeria (MDCAN), University of Calabar and UCTH Chapter, follows the University Governing Council’s failure to revise a recent job advert that, according to the group, discriminates against clinical lecturers.
The protest stems from a vacancy notice published in the Daily Sun newspaper on 27 May 2025, which stipulates that candidates for the position of Vice Chancellor “must hold a PhD.”
The MDCAN leadership contends that this clause effectively disqualifies its members—many of whom hold the Medical Fellowship qualification, a globally recognised terminal degree for clinical academic staff.
In an earlier petition to the Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the Governing Council, MDCAN expressed “utmost dismay” at the advert, calling the PhD-only requirement a “premeditated and intentional disenfranchisement” of qualified medical and dental specialists.
The group 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 further referenced similar incidents, particularly at Nnamdi Azikiwe University, where a comparable exclusionary process reportedly led to major unrest and required presidential intervention.
They highlighted that other prominent federal institutions, including Ahmadu Bello University and the University of Benin, have issued more inclusive Vice Chancellor appointment adverts in line with best practices.
Despite a formal engagement with the Pro-Chancellor on 3 June and follow-up memos dated 2 and 9 June, the university’s Governing Council has yet to respond or amend the publication.
As a result, in a communiqué released after an emergency meeting held on 13 June, MDCAN declared a total and indefinite withdrawal of services by all clinical lecturers.
According to the statement signed by Dr Patience Odusolu (Chairman) and Dr Ehiosun Aigbomian (Secretary), the lecturers are demanding:
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Immediate withdrawal of the current advert;
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Re-publication of an inclusive advert that recognises both PhD and Fellowship qualifications;
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Extension of the application deadline to compensate for the lost period and ensure all eligible candidates are given equal opportunity;
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Suspension of the ongoing selection process until the advert is revised.
The strike action 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.
The statement also disclosed that, as of the time of this report, the University of Calabar management has not issued an official response to the strike or the demands outlined by MDCAN.
Similarly, tension is mounting at the University of Uyo (UNIUYO), as medical consultants and clinical lecturers under the Medical and Dental Consultants’ Association of Nigeria (MDCAN), University of Uyo Teaching Hospital (UUTH) Chapter, have expressed outrage over what they describe as “deliberate exclusion” from the ongoing selection process for the office of Vice Chancellor.
In a strongly worded petition addressed to the newly appointed Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the Governing Council, the association condemned the criteria outlined in a vacancy advert published on 29 May 2025, which, they say, was designed to disenfranchise medical academics and favour a narrow group within the university.
According to the letter signed by the Chairman of MDCAN University of Uyo, Dr Ibiok Uendiah, and the Secretary, Dr Solomon Bassey, the advert’s stipulation that applicants must hold a PhD is not only discriminatory but fails to recognise the long-established and government-approved qualification pathway for clinical lecturers—the Medical Fellowship.
Complicating the matter at UNIUYO is a leadership vacuum and abrupt transition within the university’s Governing Council.
MDCAN revealed that Major General Ike Nwachukwu (Rtd.), previously deployed as Pro-Chancellor to UNIUYO, declined the appointment for undisclosed reasons.
In his absence, Prof Hauwa Biu reportedly acted as Chairperson of the Governing Council during the last week of May and oversaw the issuance of the now-disputed advert.
MDCAN argued that medical academics, by virtue of their professional trajectory, do not typically hold PhDs but instead obtain postgraduate medical fellowships through rigorous training lasting an additional six to seven years after medical school. These fellowships are globally recognised as terminal qualifications for teaching and research in clinical sciences.
They also criticised the requirement for ten recent journal publications within two years, describing it as impractical given the ethical constraints and extensive approval processes involved in clinical research involving human subjects. “This requirement seems nearly impossible, unless students’ term papers are to be considered professorial research,” the group noted.
Additionally, the petition challenges the stipulation of 20 years of uninterrupted teaching, arguing that such a clause unfairly penalises academics who have taken federally approved sabbaticals, study leave, or secondments to gain broader academic exposure. The association emphasised that no such requirement exists in federal guidelines or the university’s enabling law.
Highlighting broader implications, MDCAN drew parallels with the situation at the University of Calabar, where clinical lecturers recently commenced an indefinite strike over a similarly exclusionary advert for the Vice Chancellor position. They also referenced the fallout at Nnamdi Azikiwe University, where comparable practices led to crisis and eventual government intervention.
The association warned that unless the discriminatory advert is withdrawn and a revised, inclusive version is published, they may be forced to resume their previously suspended strike.
“We cannot guarantee industrial harmony if these policies are not reversed,” they said, adding that their earlier industrial action was suspended in good faith to allow management the opportunity to address long-standing concerns.
Medical lecturers at UNIUYO are demanding:
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Immediate withdrawal of the current advert;
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Re-issuance of an inclusive call for applications that recognises Fellowship qualifications alongside PhDs;
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Removal of unrealistic publication and continuous teaching clauses;
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Assurance that all qualified professors—including clinical academics—can compete fairly for the Vice Chancellor position.
The group has given the Governing Council a two-week window ending 1 July 2025 to take corrective action.
They also warned that failure to address the matter could trigger a full-scale disruption of academic and health services.
As of the time of filing this report, the Governing Council of the University of Uyo has not issued a response.
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