The Medical and Dental Consultants Association of Nigeria, MDCAN, has accused the management of Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, of being discriminatory in the recruitment of a Vice Chancellor for the institution.
The Chairman of MDCAN, Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University Teaching Hospital (COOUTH) chapter, Dr Amaechi Nwachukwu, made the accusation at a press conference on Monday.
Nwachukwu said it was wrong for the UNIZIK management to exclude medical and dental consultants who go through what he described as a very serious academic process, ‘even more than professors’.
There had been protests by MDCAN, Unizik chapter, over an advert for the position of Vice Chancellor, which specifically stated that a candidate must have a PhD, and must have attained the position of a professor, a position which MDCAN members argue is equivalent to their medical fellowship.
Amaechi, while addressing journalists said: “The Federal Government needs to standardize process of application for the post of university Vice Chancellors.
“This will put an end to the anarchy bedeviling the post of Vice Chancellor as we can see in Nnamdi Azikiwe University today.
“UNIZIK was discriminatory in its advert for the post of Vice Chancellor. We wonder why medical doctors and consultants who went through a very serious academic progression, even more than professors should not be allowed to be Vice Chancellor, moreso when we are the people training all the doctors in Nigeria.”
He backed the recent warning strike by the association’s national body, insisting that the Federal Government should look into their demands.
“We called on Federal Government to also ensure that all employed doctors are paid consolidated medical salary structure as was the practice.
“Our years of service should be harmonised to allow consultants to retire at 70.”
He said many of Nigerian doctors are traveling abroad for greener pastures, a situation which has depleted number of doctors available in the country today.
UNIZIK VC crisis: MDCAN accuses varsity management of discrimination
