By Nsan Ndoma-Neji, Calabar
Clinical lecturers in universities across the South-East/South-South geo-political zones of Nigeria have began a one-week solidarity strike action to express their grievances over discrimination against clinical lecturers at UNIZIK.
The Chairman of the Medical and Dental Consultants Association of Nigeria, MDCAN, Prof. Friday Odey, stated this on Monday in Calabar, stressing that the industrial action will not affect patients at the hospitals.
He stressed that the industrial action is only for clinical lecturers at the university.
He averred that the strike action was embarked upon by the clinical lecturers following the discriminatory exclusion of clinical lecturers from the eligibility criteria for the position of Vice-Chancellor at the Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Anambra State, as contained in the recently advertised vacancy.
Among issues raised by the aggrieved clinical lecturers were discriminatory exclusion of clinical lecturers from being qualified to contest the position of the Vice-Chancellor at UNIZIK with a condition that such a candidate must possess a PhD.
The chairman stressed that such provisi automatically excludes clinical lecturers employed as Fellows of the National Postgraduate Medical College of Nigeria and the West African College of Physicians/Surgeons from vying for the Vice-Chancellorship position.
Others are that candidates must be supervising PhD students and that they must have attracted research grants of no less than N400 million.
MDCAN, in a statement signed by the chairman MDCAN South East Caucus, Dr. Iroro Yarhere and Dr. Stanley Ogbonna, stressed that such exclusion is unacceptable as it sets a dangerous precedent.
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 from Monday 21st October, 2024, to register “our unequivocal opposition to this unfair exclusion.”
MDCAN contended 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.
Putting his weight solidly behind the strike action, Prof. Odey averred that clinical lecturers in the University of Calabar are joining the strike in solidarity with their colleagues at UNIZIK because what goes around, comes around.
He stressed that the strike action will only affect services in the university and not with hospitals across the state.
