Zik Varsity Clinical Lecturers Commence Indefinite Strike, Shuts Down Medical School
Clinical lecturers under the aegis of Medical and Dental Consultants’ Association of Nigeria (MDCAN) at the Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka have embarked on an indefinite strike action with effect from Wednesday, Sept. 25.
The lecturers under the body of all Medical and Dental Specialists with Medical Fellowship announced the commencement of the strike in a Statement issued in Awka on Wednesday.
The Statement was signed by Dr Victor Modekwe and Dr Sunday Oriji, MDCAN-NAUTH Chairman and Secretary respectively.
The ongoing industrial action entails the withdrawal of all the medical/clinical lecturers from the Faculties of Medicine, Basic Clinical Sciences and Basic Medical Sciences from all academic functions.
The lecturers said the strike was to protest alleged deliberate intention to exclude all the qualified lecturers of the Faculties of Medicine, Basic Clinical Sciences and Basic Medical Sciences to disenfranchise the Clinical lecturers from for the position of the Vice Chancellor of NAU.
The lecturers demanded that the advert 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.
According to the Statement, recall our letters to you of Aug. 2 and Sept. 17 on the deliberate intention to exclude our members (clinical lecturers) from contesting for the position of the Vice-Chancellor of Nnamdi Azikiwe University.
“Recall that we specifically asked for the withdrawal of the obnoxious advert for the position of the Vice-Chancellor of Nnamdi Azikiwe University in order to guarantee industrial harmony.
“We observed that up till now the advert still stands and our members remained excluded from the contest for two weeks now.
“The congress therefore resolved to proceed on an indefinite withdrawal of services by all the clinical lecturers of Nnamdi Azikiwe University in the
Faculties of Medicine, Basic Medical Sciences, and Basic Clinical Sciences until this advert is withdrawn,” he said
The contested clause in the advert among other things had a prerequisite that applicants must have a PhD of 15 years, without including postgraduate Medical Fellowship of 15 years.
The lecturers said in spite the pre-information, they were shocked to see the advert for the position of VC-NAU published in a national paper and purported to have been authorized by the Pro-Chancellor.
The doctors who viewed the advert as selective and malicious conveyed an emergency congress on Sept. 14 and issued an ultimatum which was communicated to all relevant authorities.
