UNIZIK VC race: MDCAN condemns alleged exclusion of members

The Medical and Dental Consultants Association of Nigeria (MDCAN) has protested what it considers a deliberate exclusion of its members from contesting for the position of Vice Chancellor at Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Anambra State.

In a communiqué issued at the end of its Emergency General Meeting, MDCAN rejected and condemned the insertion of certain criteria that failed to account for the unique career progression path of its members.

The communiqué, made available to journalists in Awka on Friday, was signed by Dr. Victor Modekwe and Dr. Sunday Oriji, MDCAN-NAUTH Chairman and Secretary, respectively.

MDCAN noted that the advertisement for the Vice Chancellor position required applicants to hold a first degree, Master’s degree, and a PhD.

However, the consultants argued that the academic pathway of clinical lecturers, both at NAU and globally, does not align with the criteria outlined in the advert.

They explained that the academic path for clinical lecturers includes a first degree (MBBS/BDS), Primary Fellowship Examination, Part I Fellowship Examination, and Part II/Final Fellowship Examination, which leads to the award of a Medical Fellowship.

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They also noted that requiring applicants to have a PhD of 15 years, without recognizing the equivalent postgraduate Medical Fellowship of 15 years, deviates from the criteria used in a similar advertisement in 2019 and is detrimental to the medical profession in Nigeria.

“MDCAN had, on Aug. 2, written a letter to the office of the Pro-Chancellor/Chairman of the Governing Council, alleging a sinister plan to insert exclusionary requirements into the proposed advertisement for the Vice Chancellor position at Nnamdi Azikiwe University.

“These requirements appear to be deliberately designed to exclude qualified lecturers from the Faculties of Medicine, Basic Clinical Sciences, and Basic Medical Sciences.

“We appealed in that letter for the removal of these exclusionary criteria, which are not only unprecedented at Nnamdi Azikiwe University but in all universities across Nigeria,” the communiqué stated.

MDCAN unequivocally condemned the conditions in the advertisement as unfair and called for its withdrawal within seven days to prevent a complete shutdown of the university’s medical education sectors.

The consultants warned that industrial action would involve the withdrawal of all medical/clinical lecturers from the Faculties of Medicine, Basic Clinical Sciences, and Basic Medical Sciences from all academic functions.

“Future advertisements should take into account the academic pathway of Medical/Clinical lecturers by recognizing the Postgraduate Medical Fellowship as equivalent to a PhD and removing the Master’s degree requirement, given our long-standing professional trajectory.

“If this advert is not withdrawn within seven days from the date of this letter, we will have no choice but to embark on an indefinite industrial action until the advert is retracted.

“We urge the university council and all well-meaning Nigerians to prevent this unnecessary situation and safeguard our university,” the communiqué concluded.