Kehinde Fajobi
The Medical and Dental Consultants Association of Nigeria (MDCAN) has given the Federal Government and relevant stakeholders a 21-day ultimatum to address concerns regarding the exclusion of medical and dental professionals from Vice-Chancellor eligibility, warning that members will withdraw their services nationwide if their demands are not met.
This ultimatum was outlined in a communiqué issued on Sunday, following an extraordinary National Executive Council (NEC) meeting held virtually last Wednesday. The meeting focused on the ongoing discrimination against the Medical and Dental Fellowship qualifications by Nigerian universities.
MDCAN, led by President Prof Muhammad Muhammad and Secretary General Prof Daiyabu Ibrahim, expressed dismay over universities’ emphasis on PhD qualifications for Vice-Chancellor positions, which they argue unfairly excludes those holding Medical and Dental Fellowships.
“The NEC resolved that it is unacceptable for any university in Nigeria to benchmark the requirements for the office of a Vice-Chancellor to the attainment of a PhD, without recognising the Medical and Dental Fellowships peculiar to the medical profession as an academic and professional qualification that more than suffices wherever a PhD is required,” the communiqué stated.
The association referenced a recent controversy surrounding Nnamdi Azikiwe University, where the advertised requirements for Vice-Chancellor included a PhD, excluding those with medical qualifications.
These requirements were criticised by the University’s medical alumni, who argue that they disenfranchise medical lecturers from contributing to university leadership.
MDCAN also raised concerns about the government’s failure to harmonise the retirement age of medical consultants to 70 years and address discrepancies in the payment and emoluments of clinical medical lecturers under the Consolidated Medical Salary Structure.
The NEC warned that failure to address these issues would lead to a withdrawal of services, alongside possible legal actions.
“NEC demands the immediate withdrawal of the discriminatory advertisements and inclusion of Medical and Dental Fellowship qualifications in all adverts for the vacant position of Vice-Chancellor wherever Medicine and Dentistry are offered in that university.”
The association urged the government and university authorities to take immediate action to avoid disruption in the healthcare sector.