Resident Doctors at Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital (NAUTH) have urged the Governing Council of Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, to reverse the exclusion of clinical lecturers from contesting the institution’s Vice Chancellor position.
The doctors under the aegis of Association of Resident Doctors (ARD)-NAUTH made the call on Wednesday as the strike embarked upon by the clinical lecturers entered its fourth week.
Recall that the clinical lecturers commenced their strike action on September 25, protesting the insertion of some criteria in the vacancy advertisement which they said did not consider the peculiarities of their career progression path.
The vacancy advert stated that applicants for the position of VC-NAU must possess a first degree, Master’s degree and a PhD for 15 years, but the lecturers said it did not fit into their academic pathway in NAU and globally.
They said the requirements which also included attraction of N400 million 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
ARD-NAUTH in a statement signed by Dr Chiemezie Agbanu and Dr Nwabueze Okeke, its President and Secretary respectively, called on the Council to reverse the discriminatory criteria and make the contest open to every qualified contestant.
The association declared its support for the striking teachers and trainers under the aegis of Medical and Dental Consultants Association of Nigeria, NAUTH.
“This conscious attempt to sideline medical lecturers from vying for the position of the Vice Chancellor of NAU is unlawful according to NAU establishment ACT of 1993 (as amended).
“We appeal to the Governing Council, the university management, 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 the immediate retraction of the vacancy advert for position of VC-NAU.
“We also advice 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 gravely affected by the strike action embarked by the lecturers’ protest strike.
