The Vice Chancellor of the University of Calabar, UNICAL, Prof. Florence Obi, has vowed to resolve the ongoing crisis in the institution’s Department of Dentistry, where there have been reports of over-admission for several years.
During a press briefing in Calabar on Tuesday, she stated that she will address the crisis before leaving office.
Obi emphasised that the problem predates her term and promised to step up efforts to address the crisis. She claimed that the problem was caused by the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria’s rejection to admit 2016 dentistry students to the university.
She also refuted claims on social media that the institution’s dentistry programme has lost accreditation, calling the reports “misinformation and distortion of facts”, clarifying that the programme is still fully accredited and that no students have been directed to transfer to another university.
“At no point did the university ask dentistry students to seek transfers to other institutions, nor were they advised to ‘go and learn a trade’ as falsely alleged online,” the VC stated.
“I will feel very bad if I leave without solving this problem and the students are left hanging without knowing their fate. I won’t be fulfilled,” she said.
She reiterated the university’s commitment to ensure that all dentistry students graduate and are properly licensed as dental surgeons.
She stated that the dentistry curriculum began in the 2013/2014 academic year and that in November 2019, the university received pre-clinical certification from the MDCN, with full clinical accreditation given in December 2022.
The UNICAL VC also mentioned the university’s collaboration and partnership with the Minister of Education and the Tertiary Education Trust Fund to improve its facilities.
“All we asked for is time to engage with other institutions, update the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN), and follow through on due processes,” she noted.
Speaking further, Obi stated that some of the afflicted students requested to be transferred to the Department of Medicine and Surgery, but that this was not an option because the department was already overburdened.
Obi asked the affected students to be calm, stating that the university was doing all necessary to remedy the issues before the conclusion of her term.
