Resident doctors at Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital, NAUTH, have urged the Governing Council of Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, to reverse the alleged exclusion of clinical lecturers from contesting for the institution’s vice chancellor.
The doctors, under the aegis of the Association of Resident Doctors, ARD-NAUTH, made the call on Wednesday as a strike embarked upon by the clinical lecturers entered the fourth week.
The clinical lecturers who commenced strike on September 25 are protesting the alleged insertion of some criteria, which they said did not consider the peculiarities of their career progression path.
The advert had said applicants for the position of the university’s vice chancellor must possess a first degree, a Master’s degree and a PhD for 15 years. However, the lecturers said the requirements did not fit into their academic pathway at NAU and globally.
They said the requirements, which included the attraction of N400 million in grants, excluded clinic lecturers, who were qualified lecturers in the faculties of Medicine, Basic Clinical Sciences and Basic Medical Sciences, from contesting for the position.
In a statement signed by Dr Chiemezie Agbanu and Dr Nwabueze Okeke, President and Secretary, respectively, ARD-NAUTH called on the council to remove the criteria and make the contest open to every qualified person.
ARD-NAUTH declared its support for the striking teachers and trainers under the aegis of the Medical and Dental Consultants Association of Nigeria, MDCAN-NAUTH.
“This conscious attempt to sideline medical lecturers from vying for the position of the Vice Chancellor of NAU is unlawful according to the NAU Establishment Act of 1993 (as amended).
“We appeal to the governing council, the university management, the National Postgraduate College of Nigeria and the National University Commission to kindly intervene and save our already ebbing educational system.
“We join in solidarity with our teachers and trainers to demand immediate retraction of the advert, and advise that an impartial publication be made to enable a fair playing field for every contestant,” it said.
ARD-NAUTH sympathised with the medical students of NAU, who were affected by the strike embarked on by the lecturers to demand their inclusion in the contest.