Awka, Nigeria – Academic activities in the medical school of Nnamdi Azikiwe University(NAU), Awka, are still grounded one week after clinical lecturers downed tools over alleged deliberate ploy to exclude its members from contesting for the position of the institution’s Vice Chancellor (VC).
The Governing Council of NAU recently advertised for applications for the position of VC but the lecturers said there were injurious requirements designed to exclude qualified candidates in the faculties of Medicine, Basic Clinical Sciences and Basic Medical Sciences
The Lecturers, under the aegis of Medical and Dental Consultant Association of Nigeria (MDCAN), in a Communique signed by Dr Victor Modekwe and Dr Sunday Oriji
MDCAN-NAUTH Chairman and Secretary respectively, rejected the insertion of some criteria which did not consider the peculiarities of their career progression path.
The clinical lecturers observed that the advert, which required that an applicant for the position of VC must possess a first degree, Master’s degree and a PhD, said the academic pathway of clinical lecturers, in NAU and globally, did not fit into the criteria laid down in the advert.
They demanded that the advert should be withdrawn and should factor in the academic pathway of Medical/Clinical lecturers by putting Post-Graduate Medical Fellowship anywhere PhD appears and excluding Master’s degree from requirement, considering their long-standing pathway.
Newsmen who visited the College of medicine within the NAU Teaching Hospital in Nnewi on Wednesday, saw some students reading on their own without the guidance of their teachers.
A student who pleaded anonymity said if the strike continued for another week, it means their set will not be able to graduate this year as scheduled.
He described the last week as difficult as they could not continue with their clinical postings and lectures that will qualify them for their final year examination.
“This is my 8th year in medical school without repeating a class.
“Covid-19 took one year and the past ASUU strike snatched the second year from my set.
“We are confused about what is going on; We have not had classes for about a week now and nothing is in sight.
“We are just sleeping and waking up. We are not sure if we are in school, it has not been this bad in Unizik medical school. We are calling on those concerned to look into the problem with the lecturers with a view to bringing us back to class soonest,” he said.
Efforts to speak with any of the lecturers was abortive as most of them were not in their offices and those around refused to speak.
