The Medical and Dental Consultants’ Association of Nigeria has praised President Bola Tinubu for dismissing the Vice-Chancellor of Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Prof. Bernard Udoh, and the Registrar, Mrs. Rosemary Nwokike.
The association, which has been on strike since Monday over Udoh’s nomination, said it will not end the seven-day warning strike until the National Executive Council meets on Friday.
The National President of MDCAN, Prof. Muhammad Muhammad, stated that the decisions reached at the NEC meeting on Friday would define the association’s future course of action.
He said, “We are excited that one of our demands has been met. This is really impressive, and we are happy about it.
“We just met with the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Health, Dr. Ipalibo Banigo, today (Wednesday), and she appealed to us to consider the public and promised to meet with the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Education on all our demands by next week.
“We are also meeting with the Ministry of Labour and Employment tomorrow (Thursday). After the meeting with the Ministry of Labour, the NEC can then schedule a meeting for Friday to know what to do next.”
MDCAN had launched a seven-day warning strike to pursue its demands, which included the removal of the UNIZIK VC.
The strike, which began on Monday, halted medical activity at 83 health facilities and 64 medical schools around the country.
The association had previously criticised the exclusion of medical lecturers from appointments as UNIZIK VCs.
It demanded that the Federal Government remove the Chairman of the Governing Council of Nnamdi Azikiwe University from his position as council chairman due to his insubordination, as well as enforce the Ministry of Education’s directive that any appointments made subsequent to their directives be null and void, and develop an all-inclusive prototype of advertisement for the Office of Vice-Chancellor.
Other demands include raising the retirement age of medical consultants to 70 years old, harmonising the payment of emoluments under the consolidated salary structure to ensure that CONMESS is applicable to all medical and dental officers, and paying 2023 and 2024 Clinical Duty Allowance areas, as well as 2023 25%/35 percent CONMESS arrears, respectively.
On Wednesday, in response to criticism, Tinubu dissolved the Governing Council of Nnamdi Azikiwe University in Awka, Anambra State, and removed its new VC, Prof. Odoh, and registrar, Nwokike.
He also approved the expulsion of Ohieku Salami as Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the Governing Council at the Federal University of Health Sciences in Otukpo, Benue State.
According to a statement signed by Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Mr. Bayo Onanuga, titled ‘President Tinubu sacks Nnamdi Azikiwe University Council, VC, and Registrar’, “The sacking of the governing council and officials followed reports that the council illegally appointed an unqualified vice chancellor without following due process.”
“After the controversial appointment, the Federal Government stepped in to address tensions between the university’s Senate and the governing council of the 23-year-old institution.
“The government expressed concern over the council’s apparent disregard for the university’s governing laws in its selection process,” said Onanuga.
The NAU council, led by Greg Ozumba Mbadiwe, featured five other members: Hafiz Oladejo, Augustine Onyedebelu, Amioleran Osahon, and Gen. Funsho Oyeneyin (retired).
![Rev. Fr. Anthony Odiong, a US-based Nigerian Louisiana Catholic priest, was arrested in Florida on Tuesday for possessing child pornography, according to law authorities. The suspect is reportedly accused of many other cases of sexual assault. The Waco, Texas, Police Department announced in a Facebook post on Tuesday that officers detained Father Anthony Odiong in Ave Maria, Florida, with assistance from the United States Marshals Service. Waco police announced in March that they had received "credible information" about a sexual assault allegedly committed by Odiong in Texas in 2012. “During the subsequent investigation, a case of possession of child pornography was uncovered,” the police said. The priest was apprehended in Florida by the Caribbean Regional Fugitive Task Force. The Waco Police Department said that he will be extradited to Texas. Odiong had previously served in the Archdiocese of New Orleans before being removed as priest in December of last year due to controversy over homilies in which he claimed, among other things, that the Catholic Church was being taken over by "the gays." At the time, the priest was also accused of abusive behaviour; a Louisiana lady claimed in U.S. bankruptcy court that Odiong had committed both financial and sexual abuse against her. Prior to joining the New Orleans Archdiocese, Odiong served in at least two Texas parishes. On Tuesday, Waco police stated that during their sexual assault investigation, "the presence of other survivors was revealed." “Multiple women have come forward to tell similar experiences as the sexual assault survivor who reported the initial allegation,” the police department said. “Survivors’ experiences ranged from sexual assault and indecent assault, more commonly recognised as groping, and financial abuse, with some survivors experiencing every element of Anthony Odiong’s manipulation.” The police said they “believe there may be more survivors, and we wish to speak with anyone who [has] had similar encounters” with the priest. The Archdiocese of New Orleans issued a brief news release on Tuesday noting Odiong's arrest in Florida. The archdiocese “encourages anyone with any information to contact law enforcement,” the release said.](https://chronicle.ng/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/ezgif-6-4730550ede-450x300.jpg "Odiong: US-based Nigerian Catholic priest convicted over sexual assault")