UNICAL CLINICAL LECTURERS STRIKE RESOLUTION
Clinical lecturers at the University of Calabar, represented by the Medical and Dental Consultants’ Association of Nigeria (MDCAN), have officially ended their indefinite strike.
The lecturers initiated this industrial action on June 13, 2025, to protest their exclusion from the selection process for the Vice Chancellor position. They claimed that the university’s governing council failed to modify a job advertisement they believed was discriminatory towards clinical faculty members.
In a letter dated June 13, signed by MDCAN’s University of Calabar Chapter Chairman, Dr. Patience Odusolu, and Secretary, Dr. Ehiosun Aigbomian, the association requested that the advertisement be withdrawn and reissued with more inclusive criteria. They indicated that without these changes, clinical lecturers would continue their withdrawal of services.
Fortunately, MDCAN’s National President, Prof. Muhammad Muhammad, announced on Monday that the issue has been resolved thanks to the intervention of the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa.
He elaborated on the differences between training paths for clinical and non-clinical medical academics, stating, “In clinical medicine, we do not follow the traditional Master’s/PhD track. Our education involves a residency program that combines academic study and clinical practice, lasting six to eight years, and culminates in a fellowship.”
This fellowship qualifies individuals to work as consultants in hospitals and serve as lecturers in universities, with career advancement from Lecturer I to professor based on established criteria.
He noted that many former Vice Chancellors with fellowship qualifications have excelled in their roles.
“Although the Federal Ministry of Education has guidelines for appointing Vice Chancellors, Provosts, and Rectors, the university insisted only those with PhDs were eligible to apply. This was the main point of contention. We’re grateful to the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, for stepping in to resolve the issue directly with the university”.
“The situation has been clarified, and the university has issued an addendum to the original advertisement, now allowing candidates with either a PhD or a medical fellowship to apply for the Vice Chancellor position.”
“Following this resolution, MDCAN members at the University of Calabar have resumed their duties,” he concluded.
