By Chijioke Kingsley
Abuja (Sundiata Post) –The National Executive Council of the Medical and Dental Consultants Association of Nigerian (MDCAN) has issued 21-day notice of strike to relevant stakeholders to address their beleaguering demands.
According to them, failure to do so, they shall not guarantee continuation of services rendered by their members who are holders of Medical and Dental Fellowship nationwide.
This was contained in a statement issued in Jos at the end of the extraordinary virtual National Executive Council (NEC), meeting of the association held at Zoom meeting room on Wednesday.
The statement which was signed by MDCAN President Prof Aminu Mohammad and Secretary Prof Daiyabu Ibrahim directed its members to take lawful steps not limited to withdrawal of services but legal options where the advertisement for the position of the office of Vice Chancellor is discriminatory and disenfranchises the Medical and Dental Lecturers.
Parts of the statement reads, “NEC resolves that any unlawful and discriminatory posture to holders of the Medical and Dental Fellowship qualifications will no longer be tolerated.
The Medical and Dental doctors further stressed, “All members where such discriminatory adverts are released have been directed to take necessary, lawful means to restore their rights as provided for in the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria”.
NEC also resolved that it is unacceptable for any University in Nigeria to benchmark the requirements for the office of a Vice Chancellor to the attainment of a PhD, without recognizing the Medical and Dental Fellowships peculiar to the medical profession as an academic and professional qualification which more than suffices wherever PhD is required.
They further decried the failure of Government to harmonize the retirement age of Medical Consultants to 70 years, especially in the face of increasing needs for both academic and professional duties of these Medical and Dental specialists.
According to them, these are the undergraduate and postgraduate Medical and Dental trainers and providers of specialist medical services in the tertiary health institutions (Teaching Hospitals, Federal Medical Centres and Specialty Hospitals) at State and Federal levels.
MDCAN also urged Federal Government to as a matter of urgency complete the process of harmonizing the payment of the emoluments of Clinical Medical Lecturers with Consolidated Medical Salary Structure (CONMESS) in order to correct the significant shortfalls in their emolument, entry level, and pension.
NEC also commended the steps taken thus far by members to address the discriminatory advertisements whose sole aim is to disenfranchise the medical lecturers, from contributing their quota to university administration and management at the highest level.
