Labour Party’s presidential candidate in the 2023 elections, Peter Obi, has called for immediate action to address the challenges facing dental students at the University of Calabar (UNICAL).
In a statement shared via his X handle on Saturday, Obi emphasised that students should never bear the brunt of systemic leadership failures. His comments followed reports highlighting longstanding issues over graduation and induction quotas that have left many dental students at UNICAL in academic limbo.
“No student should suffer due to what I consider a failure of leadership. We must give our youth the necessary education, particularly in critical fields like science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). Education in these areas is far too important to be jeopardised by bureaucratic or institutional lapses,” Obi wrote.
The 64-year-old politician acknowledged recent assurances by the university’s Vice Chancellor, Professor Florence Obi, to resolve the situation and appreciated her commitment, expressing hope for a favourable resolution.
“While the specifics of the matter are still unfolding, I understand that the Vice Chancellor has recently assured the public that steps will be taken to resolve the crisis. I appreciate her for this promise, and I look forward to a favourable resolution,” he noted.
Drawing from personal experience during his tenure as Governor of Anambra State, Obi recalled how he confronted a similar accreditation crisis at Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University.
“Students who had already spent 3 to 4 years studying medicine were told they could only graduate as biologists or in other science courses.
“I had just assumed office, barely one year in, when I met the crisis, but I refused to let those innocent students become victims,” he recounted.
Obi said he took full responsibility and assured the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria that a functional teaching hospital would be built within two years — a task they believed impossible.
“They told me it was impossible to build such a facility in two years. But I insisted, because leaders must be solution-driven, especially when the lives and futures of our young people are at stake.
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“In less than 18 months, I fulfilled that promise. I built and commissioned what is now known as Odumegwu-Ojukwu Teaching Hospital in Awka, saving not just the accreditation of the medical faculty but the futures of young aspiring doctors to this day,” he said.
Calling for swift federal government action, the LP 2023 flagbearer urged financial and institutional support for the university’s management to ensure that no student is penalised for issues beyond their control.
“The Vice Chancellor of the University of Calabar and her team must be empowered to resolve this issue immediately to ensure that no student is made to suffer for circumstances that are in no way their fault,” he said.
The ex-Anambra governor warned against the continued neglect of critical sectors such as education and healthcare. “At this critical time in our nation, we cannot afford to continue the downward trend of neglecting education and healthcare or of failing to lift people out of poverty while wasting resources on areas that bring no tangible value. Our children must not continue to lose their future in Nigeria,” Obi said.
The Vice Chancellor of the University of Calabar (UNICAL) has urged students and parents to remain calm as the institution works to resolve the crisis affecting its dental programme.
Speaking on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief on Wednesday, Professor Florence Obi assured the public that efforts were underway to address the longstanding issue.
“I appeal to our students and their parents to stay calm. On my honour, we will work closely with the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN) to resolve this problem,” she pledged, adding that she takes full responsibility, including for challenges inherited from previous administrations.
Professor Obi revealed that the root of the crisis lay in overadmission, as the university had enrolled 60 dental students despite the MDCN’s approval for only 10. She warned that those involved in breaching the admissions quota would face appropriate sanctions.
The Vice Chancellor also disclosed plans to meet with the Minister of Education to seek federal intervention, expressing optimism that the matter could be resolved within two months.