The South-East caucus of the Medical and Dental Consultants’ Association of Nigeria (MDCAN) has declared a five-day warning strike, set to begin on Monday, October 21, 2024. The strike is in solidarity with universities in the South-East and South-South regions following protests by workers at Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka (UNIZIK), Anambra State, over the exclusion of clinical lecturers from eligibility for the Vice-Chancellor position.
The protest, which began on September 24, 2024, saw MDCAN members at UNIZIK expressing their displeasure at the university’s governing council’s decision to impose requirements that disqualify medical and dental lecturers from contesting for the Vice-Chancellor role. MDCAN has criticized these requirements as discriminatory and inconsistent.
In a letter dated October 16, 2024, signed by the Chairman of MDCAN South-East Caucus, Dr. Iroro Yarhere, and the Secretary, Dr. Stanley Ogbonna, the association conveyed its concern to Vice-Chancellors across the region. The letter, titled *”Notice of a Five-Day Warning Strike by MDCAN (Clinical Lecturers) in Universities in the South-East/South-South Regions,”* emphasized the negative precedent this exclusion could set.
“This exclusion is unacceptable to us, as it sets a dangerous precedent. Should this be allowed to stand, it could encourage other universities to adopt similar exclusionary policies,” the letter stated, warning that such a move undermines the professional contributions of clinical lecturers.
The strike is expected to affect universities in the South-East and South-South regions, as MDCAN pushes for a review of the selection criteria for Vice-Chancellor roles to ensure fairness and recognition of clinical lecturers’ qualifications.
