The 2023 Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has called on the Nigerian government to urgently address the ongoing crisis at the University of Calabar (UNICAL) involving the graduation and induction of dental students.
UNICAL is currently facing a credibility crisis after it was revealed that the institution admitted significantly more dental students than permitted by the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN). Despite having provisional accreditation for only 10 students annually, the university reportedly admitted up to 90 students per year. In response, the MDCN has withheld verification of graduation lists that exceed the approved quota.
In a statement posted on his X handle today, July 19, Obi expressed deep concern over the situation, describing it as a failure of leadership and emphasizing that students should not bear the consequences of institutional lapses.
“No student should suffer for leadership failures,” Obi stated.
“Following my visit to the Faculty of Dental Studies at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), I received numerous reports about the troubling developments at UNICAL. While details are still emerging, I understand the Vice Chancellor has promised that steps will be taken to resolve the issue. I commend her assurance and look forward to a favorable outcome.”
Obi stressed the importance of ensuring that students in critical disciplines such as science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) are not disrupted by bureaucratic failures.
Recalling a similar experience during his tenure as Governor of Anambra State, Obi narrated how the MDCN once shut down the medical school at Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University due to the absence of a teaching hospital. He said students were at risk of being redirected to unrelated fields after already spending several years studying medicine.
“I had just assumed office when the crisis occurred. I pleaded with the Council, took full responsibility, and committed to building a functional teaching hospital within two years. Despite skepticism, I delivered the hospital in under 18 months. That intervention saved the accreditation and preserved the dreams of many future doctors,” Obi said.
He urged the Federal Government to take swift and decisive action by providing financial and institutional support to UNICAL’s leadership to resolve the crisis.
“The Vice Chancellor and her team must be empowered to act now. These students did not create the problem and must not suffer for it,” he said.
Obi concluded by reiterating the need to prioritize education and healthcare in national development.
“At this critical time, we cannot afford to keep neglecting essential sectors while misallocating national resources. Our children must not continue to lose their future in Nigeria. A New Nigeria is POssible,” he added.
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