University of Uyo’s Medical and Dental Consultants’ Association of Nigeria (MDCAN) has announced an indefinite strike over the university’s Vice-Chancellor appointment criteria.
The association claims the process is “discriminatory and exclusionary” and fails to recognize Postgraduate Medical Fellowship as equivalent to a Ph.D. for clinical professors.
According to the Nigerian Tribune, the Chairman, Dr. Ibiok Usendiah and the Secretary, MDCAN, Solomon Bassey, of the University of Uyo Teaching Hospital stated that this decision follows a series of unresolved concerns surrounding the recent advertorial and addendum issued by the University regarding eligibility criteria for the position.
MDCAN had previously engaged the University administration, requesting that the Postgraduate Medical Fellowship, which is the established and recognized academic qualification for clinical lecturers and professors in Nigeria, be acknowledged as equivalent to a Ph.D. for the purpose of contesting the office of Vice-Chancellor.”
Despite an addendum issued by the University Registrar, the Association asserts that the language used remains ambiguous, exclusionary, and disrespectful to the clinical academic community.”
Particularly troubling, the Association says, is the phrasing which refers to the Ph.D. as a “foundational academic qualification” and extends eligibility to “medical personnel AND OTHERS,” a term they say undermines the qualifications and academic contributions of clinical professors.
In a strongly worded response, MDCAN noted: “The clause is not only exclusionary but also derogatory. Professors of Clinical Medicine, employed and promoted based on their Postgraduate Medical Fellowships, are being subtly disqualified from the selection process under the guise of ambiguous language.”
Further aggravating the situation was the University Pro-Chancellor’s response to a formal plea from the Association to clarify the advertorial. A reply received from him read in part: “If anybody feels it is ambiguous, let him go back to school…”
MDCAN has condemned the statement as “highly demeaning” and “unworthy of a Senior Advocate of Nigeria,” demanding a full and unreserved apology.
At a general meeting held on Wednesday, June 25, 2025, MDCAN resolved to withdraw all academic services including lectures, student clinical rounds, seminars, tests, and examinations with effect from 12:00 a.m. on Thursday, June 26, 2025.
The strike would also extend to involve withdrawal of clinical services by consultants at the University of Uyo Teaching Hospital if there is no resolution within a week of the strike’s commencement.
The Association is seeking a public acknowledgment in at least two national newspapers that Postgraduate Medical Fellowship is accepted in place of a Ph.D. for clinical professors.
Nigerian Tribune reported that the recognition would also need to be included in the official Governing Council records. Also, the Association demands a formal, written apology from the Pro-Chancellor “for his insulting remark.” The association states the strike will remain in effect until these conditions are met.
