President Bola Tinunu has been lauded over the sacking of the Vice-Chancellor of the Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Bernard Udoh, and Registrar, Rosemary Nwokike.
The Medical and Dental Consultants’ Association of Nigeria , which had been on strike since Monday over Udoh’s appointment, however, said it would not call off the seven-day warning strike until the National Executive Council meets on Friday.
The National President of MDCAN, Muhammad Muhammad, said the decisions made at the NEC meeting on Friday would determine the association’s next line of action.
MDCAN had embarked on a seven-day warning strike to press home its demands, including the sacking of the UNIZIK VC.
The strike, which commenced on Monday, grounded medical activities in 83 health facilities and 64 medical schools across the country.
The association had earlier protested the exclusion of medical lecturers from appointment as UNIZIK VC.
It demanded that the Federal Government should relieve the Chairman of the Governing Council of Nnamdi Azikiwe University of his appointment as council chairman, for his insubordination and to enforce the Ministry of Education’s directive nullifying any appointments subsequent to their directives; and to develop an all-inclusive prototype of advertisement for the Office of Vice-Chancellor.
Other demands are the harmonization of the retirement age of Medical Consultants to 70 years; the harmonization of payment of emoluments of the Consolidated Salary Structure to ensure universal applicability of CONMESS to all Medical and Dental officers; and the payment of 2023 and 2024, Clinical Duty Allowance areas, and 2023 25 percent/35 percent CONMESS arrears.
Bowing to pressure, President Bola Tinubu dissolved the Governing Council of the Nnamdi Azikiwe University in Awka, Anambra State, and removed its new VC, Odoh, and registrar, Nwokike.
He also approved the removal of Ohieku Salami as the Pro-chancellor and Chairman of the governing council of the Federal University of Health Sciences in Otukpo, Benue State.
A statement by Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, titled ‘President Tinubu sacks Nnamdi Azikiwe University Council, VC and Registrar’, noted that the sacking of the governing council and officials followed reports that the council illegally appointed an unqualified vice-chancellor without following due process.
The NAU council, led by Greg Mbadiwe, included five other members: Hafiz Oladejo, Augustine Onyedebelu, Amioleran Osahon, and Gen. Funsho Oyeneyin (retd.).
In the same vein, Tinubu also approved the removal of Ohieku Salami as the Pro-chancellor and Chairman of the governing council of the Federal University of Health Sciences in Otukpo, Benue State.
Similarly, the Federal Ministry of Education announced the removal of Odoh.
The ministry also announced the dissolution of the institution’s governing council.
This was disclosed in a statement by the Director of Press and Public Relations, Folashade Boriowo.
The President also approved the removal of Ohieku Salami as Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the Governing Council of the Federal University of Health Sciences, Otukpo, Benue State.
The Presidency said the decision followed Salami’s illegal actions, including suspending the vice-chancellor without following the prescribed procedures.
In another statement, Tinubu also approved the immediate swap of the pro-chancellors and chairmen of the governing councils for the Federal University Oye-Ekiti and Federal University, Lokoja.
In this reshuffling, Onanuga revealed that Senator Victor Ndoma-Egba, SAN, currently serving as the Pro-Chancellor of Federal University Lokoja, will take over at Federal University Oye-Ekiti.
The statement is titled ‘President Tinubu approves leadership changes at Federal Universities in Oye-Ekiti and Lokoja.
Kayode Ojo, who previously held a similar position at Oye-Ekiti, will assume the role in Lokoja, the statement read further.
Onanuga said the strategic change was part of the President’s initiative to foster diversity and national cohesion in managing the country’s universities.
The Federal Government reiterated that the primary responsibility of university councils was to ensure the smooth operation of university activities following the act establishing each university.
The President, therefore, warned the councils not to create distractions in their universities as his government is focused on improving the country’s education standards.
Stating the reason for the swap, a statement from the education ministry noted that, the change comes after it was noted that the current Pro-Chancellor of the Federal University, Oye-Ekiti, Kayode Ojo, is an indigene of Ekiti State