By Peter Omopo
Calabar, June 30, 2025 — Clinical lecturers at the University of Calabar (UNICAL) have officially ended their indefinite strike and resumed academic duties, following the resolution of a dispute over the ongoing Vice-Chancellor selection process.
The lecturers, under the aegis of the Medical and Dental Consultants’ Association of Nigeria (MDCAN), had downed tools on June 13, 2025, protesting what they described as a deliberate exclusion from the criteria for selecting the institution’s next Vice-Chancellor.
According to the aggrieved lecturers, the job advertisement released by the university’s governing council was discriminatory against members of the clinical faculty. In a memo signed by MDCAN UNICAL Chapter Chairman, Dr. Patience Odusolu, and Secretary, Dr. Ehiosun Aigbomian, the association demanded that the advertisement be withdrawn and reissued with inclusive terms that acknowledge the unique qualifications of clinical academics.
The strike, which involved the complete withdrawal of services by clinical lecturers, disrupted teaching, seminars, practicals, and examinations at the medical school.
However, on Monday, MDCAN National President, Prof. Muhammad Muhammad, confirmed that the impasse had been resolved following the intervention of the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa.
Clarifying the professional track of clinical academics, Prof. Muhammad explained: “In clinical medicine, we don’t follow the conventional Master’s/PhD route. Our training is through a residency programme, which is both academic and clinical, lasting six to eight years and culminating in the award of a fellowship.”
The resolution marks a return to normalcy in the university’s medical academic calendar.
