The leadership of the Medical and Dental Consultants’ Association, Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospital, Ile-Ife, Osun State, on Tuesday, said its members had joined the ongoing warning industrial action, as directed by the national leadership of the association.
The strike followed the expiration of the 21-day ultimatum given to the Federal Government to reverse the discriminatory criteria against clinical lecturers in the selection and appointment of the university leadership positions, especially for the office of the vice-chancellor.
The association, which made specific reference to recent developments in some universities, including Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Anambra State, demanded the approval of an all-inclusive prototype of advertisement for the Office of the Vice-Chancellor.
Giving further insight into the compliance of OAU clinical lecturers to the strike directive in a statement, the OAU MDCAN Chairman, Dr Olufemi Ogundipe, and the General Secretary, Dr. Tajudin Adetunji, said academic activities at the College of Health Sciences in the university involving all clinical lecturers had been shut down.
Apart from the national demands, the OAU MDCAN, which listed non-implementation of CONMESS, among others, vowed not to return to work after the conclusion of the current national warning strike, until clinical lecturers are placed on CONMESS as is the case in other federal universities.
“The fate of over 100 final medical students of OAU now hangs in the balance.
“This is just as the medical college may lose its accreditation status with the National University Commission if the long-standing shortfall in the emoluments of the clinical lecturers as a result of non-implementation of CONMESS is not addressed.
“Our other salient demands are the discriminatory policy against the medical fellowship, harmonisation of payment of emoluments of CONMESS to ensure universal applicability of CONMESS to all Medical and Dental Lecturers, among others.
“We are demanding immediate payment of CONMESS to all clinical lecturers in OAU to save the future of medical education in the foremost citadel of learning,” the association said.
A consultant at the hospital, who preferred anonymity to avoid victimisation, while speaking to The PUNCH on the likely implications of the strike, said, “Students’ final examination has been scheduled for next Monday.
“The accreditation by the NUC is also coming up in a few days time. Our resolve as an association is to continue with the strike. And with that position, the effects on students examination and the incoming accreditation exercise is better imagined than experienced.”
While calling on the government and the OAU authorities to act swiftly, the association lamented the dearth of clinical lecturers and dwindling fortunes of medical education in the country, blaming the development on the nonchalant attitude of the authorities to the challenges confronting the nation’s health sector.
