President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has taken decisive steps to address growing tensions in Nigeria’s tertiary education system by dissolving the Governing Council of Nnamdi Azikiwe University (UNIZIK), Awka.
The President also sacked the institution’s Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Bernard Udoh, and Registrar, Mrs. Rosemary Nwokike, over allegations of procedural breaches in Udoh’s appointment as VC.
The Medical and Dental Consultants’ Association of Nigeria (MDCAN), currently on a seven-day warning strike, praised the President’s swift response to one of its key demands. MDCAN had opposed Udoh’s appointment, claiming it excluded qualified medical lecturers, a move the association deemed discriminatory and contrary to due process.
MDCAN National President, Prof. Muhammad Muhammad, expressed satisfaction with Tinubu’s intervention but announced that the strike would continue until the association’s National Executive Council (NEC) meeting on Friday.
“We are pleased with this development. It’s a step in the right direction, but the final decision regarding the strike will depend on the outcome of our NEC meeting,” Muhammad said.
Meanwhile, discussions are ongoing between MDCAN and government officials, including the Senate Committee on Health and the Ministries of Education, Health, and Labour, to resolve other outstanding issues.
The association's demands extend beyond the UNIZIK controversy. These include harmonizing the retirement age of medical consultants to 70 years, ensuring universal application of the Consolidated Medical Salary Structure (CONMESS), and clearing outstanding Clinical Duty Allowance and CONMESS arrears.
The strike, which began on Monday, has disrupted medical activities in 83 health facilities and 64 medical schools nationwide.
In a related development, Tinubu also dismissed Ohieku Salami, Pro-Chancellor of the Federal University of Health Sciences, Otukpo, Benue State.
Salami faced allegations of illegally suspending the institution’s Vice-Chancellor and defying directives from the Federal Ministry of Education.
A statement from the Presidency emphasized Tinubu’s commitment to ensuring due process and resolving institutional conflicts.
Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, announced plans to appoint acting vice-chancellors and reconstitute governing councils for the affected institutions to restore stability.
As MDCAN's NEC prepares to decide its next steps, the government’s recent actions signal a broader effort to address systemic issues in Nigeria’s educational and healthcare sectors.