Lecturers employed as Fellows of the National Postgraduate Medical College of Nigeria and the West African College of Physicians/Surgeons from both the South East and South-South regions have commenced a one-week strike.
According to them, this follows “the discriminatory exclusion of clinical lecturers from the eligibility criteria for the position of Vice-Chancellor at the Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, as contained in a recently advertised vacancy.”
In a Press release signed by Dr Iroro Yarhere, chairman of MDCAN South East Caucus and Dr Stanley Ogbonna of South-South and sent to Journalists in Calabar on Monday, they said the UNIZIK advertorial stipulates that Candidates must possess a PhD, which the release noted it “automatically excludes clinical lecturers employed as Fellows of the National Postgraduate Medical College of Nigeria and the West African College of Physicians/Surgeons.”
Other criteria, the release noted, “Are that Candidates must be supervising PhD students and that they must have attracted research grants of no less than 400 million Naira.”
For these reasons, MDCAN insisted that “this exclusion is unacceptable as it sets a dangerous precedent in the University.”
As a result of this, MDCAN said clinical lecturers in universities across the South-East and South-South regions have resolved to embark on a five-day solidarity and warning strike.
The association said the industrial action is effective Monday 21st October, 2024, to register our unequivocal opposition to this unfair exclusion.
MDCAN contend that if this exclusionary test case at Nnamdi Azikiwe University is not reversed, it threatens to ripple across other universities.
MDCAN urged the Committees of Vice Chancellors and Pro Chancellors to intervene promptly and ensure that this discriminatory advert is reviewed.
Throwing his weight behind the industrial action, Professor Friday Odey, said clinical lecturers at the University of Calabar are joining the strike in solidarity with their colleagues in UNIZIK because what goes around, comes around.
He added that the strike action would only affect services in the University and not hospitals across the state.