MDCAN Declares Seven-Day Warning Strike Over Nnamdi Azikiwe University Leadership Crisis
The National Executive Council (NEC) of the Medical and Dental Consultants Association of Nigeria (MDCAN) has announced a seven-day warning strike, set to begin on Monday, November 18, 2024, to press for the removal of Ambassador Greg Ozumba Mbadiwe as the Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the Governing Council of Nnamdi Azikiwe University (UNIZIK).
The strike is a response to allegations of insubordination and Mbadiwe’s refusal to enforce a directive from the Ministry of Education that nullified the recent appointment of the university’s Vice-Chancellor.
The Association, in a communique issued after an extraordinary virtual National Executive Council meeting held in Jos, Plateau State, also expressed dissatisfaction with the government’s failure to address critical issues affecting the medical profession. These include the harmonization of the retirement age for Medical Consultants to 70 years and the ongoing shortfall in the recruitment of essential personnel for research, healthcare, and training in Nigerian institutions.
Furthermore, they also criticized the government’s delay in implementing the Consolidated Medical Salary Structure (CONMESS) for Clinical Lecturers in universities, which aims to address shortfalls in salaries, entry-level positions, and pension contributions for its members.
The communique also called on the Federal Government to develop a more inclusive and transparent approach to the selection of Vice Chancellors in Nigerian universities. Specifically, MDCAN urged that the advertisement for the position of Vice Chancellor issued by Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, be adopted as a model for future appointments to ensure fairness and accountability in the process.
NEC has indicated that it will reconvene at the end of the seven-day warning strike to reassess the situation and decide on the next course of action. The association’s leadership remains firm in its demand for the removal of Ambassador Mbadiwe and for the federal government to address the broader concerns raised in the communique.
