Labour Party’s presidential candidate in the 2023 general election, Peter Obi, has called on the Federal Government to urgently address the ongoing crisis at the University of Calabar (UNICAL) concerning the graduation and induction quota of dental students.
In a statement released via his official X (formerly Twitter) handle on Friday, July 19, Obi described the situation as a failure of leadership and emphasized that students should not bear the brunt of administrative or institutional lapses.
The crisis stems from revelations that UNICAL admitted up to 90 dental students annually, far exceeding the provisional accreditation limit of 10 students per year set by the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN). As a result, MDCN has refused to verify graduation lists, leaving many students stranded.
“No student should suffer due to what I consider a failure of leadership,” Obi wrote. “We must give our youth the necessary education, particularly in critical fields like science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM).”
Obi also referenced a similar incident he faced as governor of Anambra State, when MDCN shut down the state’s medical school at Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University due to the absence of a teaching hospital. He recounted how he built the required teaching hospital in less than 18 months, ensuring the students could graduate on time.
Commending the UNICAL Vice Chancellor for promising to resolve the crisis, Obi urged the Federal Government to provide both financial and institutional support to enable swift resolution.
“Our children must not continue to lose their future in Nigeria,” he concluded. “A New Nigeria is POssible.”
The situation at UNICAL continues to attract nationwide attention, with many calling for immediate solutions to safeguard the academic futures of affected students.
