Medical lecturers at the University of Uyo Teaching Hospital have begun an indefinite strike in protest against what they describe as an unfair selection process for appointing a new Vice-Chancellor.
The strike, which officially started at midnight on Thursday, June 26, 2025, was declared by the Medical and Dental Consultants Association of Nigeria (MDCAN), UUTH chapter. The resolution came after an extraordinary general meeting held between June 20 and 25.
According to the association, the industrial action affects all academic activities conducted by clinical lecturers, including lectures, seminars, practicals, teaching rounds, research supervision, tests, and examinations.
“Please kindly note that in line with the resolutions of our extraordinary general meeting… an indefinite strike has been declared by MDCAN UUTH beginning from midnight of Thursday 26th of June 2025,” the statement read.
The lecturers allege that medical academics were unfairly excluded from the Vice-Chancellor application process, despite meeting professional qualifications. They claim the university’s selection criteria did not accommodate Postgraduate Medical Fellowships, which are standard for senior clinical academics, as an alternative to the PhD.
In a letter titled “Notice of Withdrawal of Service”, addressed to the Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of Council, Dr. Muiz Banire (SAN), the lecturers expressed deep dissatisfaction over his alleged dismissive response.
“If anybody feels it is ambiguous, let him go back to school. It is clear enough for our purpose and whoever is desirous should go and apply,” Banire reportedly responded to their concerns.
This remark drew strong condemnation from the lecturers, who said the comment was “highly demeaning and unwarranted,” especially coming from a respected legal practitioner and Senior Advocate of Nigeria.
“We are understandably mortified at the presumption that we, an association of medical doctors in academics and at the highest level of our professional practice, could be labelled as unschooled,” they said.
MDCAN is demanding two conditions before the strike will be suspended:
- A public statement in at least two national newspapers confirming that a Postgraduate Medical Fellowship is acceptable in place of a PhD for clinical medicine professors.
- A formal, written apology from the Pro-Chancellor to the association for the tone and content of his email response.
The lecturers say they had initially tried alternative routes for resolution but were shocked by what they described as the lack of civility in the Council’s reply.
As the current Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Nyaudo Ndaeyo, prepares to end his tenure in December, the ongoing crisis may impact academic stability at the university unless resolved soon.
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