KEY POINTS
- NAUTH’s resident doctors are demanding that clinical lecturers are allowed to participate in the selection of the university’s next vice-chancellor at Nnamdi Azikiwe University.
- The current strike by clinical lecturers who have refused to teach for the fourth week is in protest of new rules they argue lock them out of the race.
- The lecturers note that their special academic careers are not the same as those outlined in the VC advertisement.
The NMA in a statement by the resident doctors of Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital (NAUTH) has called on the Governing Council of Nnamdi Azikiwe University Awka to reconsider the earlier decision which excluded the clinical lecturers in the selection of the Vice Chancellor.
The doctors, through the Association of Resident Doctors (ARD)-NAUTH, made the appeal on Wednesday as a strike by clinical lecturers was in its fourth week.
The clinical lecturers commenced their industrial action on September 25, 2016, over certain conditions that the university’s vice-chancellor advert has for its position, which the lecturers say has neglected their peculiar career progression.
Clinical lecturers’ exclusion protest
The university’s advertisement for the post of the vice-chancellor called for candidates who have a first degree, a Master’s degree, and a PhD for at least 15 years, and a grant of N400 million.
But clinical lecturers have noted that these requirements do not include qualified lecturers in the faculties of Medicine, Basic Clinical Sciences and Basic Medical Sciences, who have different academic progression paths than the other faculties.
Dr. Chiemezie Agbanu and Dr. Nwabueze Okeke, President and Secretary of ARD-NAUTH respectively, complained of what they termed as injustice for the exclusion of clinical lecturers from contesting for the vice-chancellor position. They urged the university’s Governing Council to review the criteria and open the contest to all eligible candidates.
Standing with striking clinical lecturers
ARD-NAUTH endorsed the current strike by the Medical and Dental Consultants Association of Nigeria (MDCAN)-NAUTH in its entirety. The doctors informed the court, “This deliberate effort to exclude medical lecturers from contending for the position of the VC of NAU is unlawful by virtue of the NAU Establishment Act of 1993 (as amended).”
According to Vanguard, in addition the students called on the management of the university, the National Postgraduate College of Nigeria and the National Universities Commission to wade into the matter to ensure that justice prevails in the selection process.
The association also condoled with the students affected by the strike and called for a fair process in selecting the vice chancellor of the institution to pave the way for the normalization of academic activities.
