LIVE UPDATES
NIGERIA — The Medical and Dental Consultants’ Association of Nigeria (MDCAN) has suspended their strike action following the need to review the progress made on its pending demands by mid-December.
Recall that the members of MDCAN had last Monday embarked on a seven-day warning strike over federal government inability to meet their demands.
The National President of the association, Prof Muhammad Muhammad, disclosed that the association reached its decision following the efforts of the Federal Government to meet its demands.
Muhammad stated, “Our number one demand has been sorted, while is the UNIZIK issue. Then the Minister of Labour and Employment also invited us to know what the problems are, and had a meeting with us, and the Ministries of Education,and Health, and he took over the dispute as a conciliator.
“We have agreed on all the issues, what should be done and with a timeline, and we will continue to push for the actualisation of the demands.
“The association will continue to honour the document signed at the conciliation meeting with the Federal Government under the leadership of the Minister of Labour and Employment and will continue to monitor events as they unfold. The National Executive Council will meet mid-December to review the progress made on our pending issues.”
It asked the Federal Government to relieve the Chairman of the Governing Council of Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Anambra State, of his appointment as council chairman, for his insubordination and to enforce the Ministry of Education’s directive nullifying any appointments subsequent to their directives.
It also asked “the FG to develop an all-inclusive prototype of advertisement for the Office of Vice-Chancellor. The advertisement for the Office of Vice Chancellor as recently issued by Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, may serve as a prototype.
“The MDCAN NEC demands the harmonisation of the retirement age of Medical Consultants to 70 years. The MDCAN NEC demands harmonisation of payment of emoluments of CONMESS to ensure universal applicability of CONMESS to all Medical and Dental officers. Payment of 2023 and 2024, Clinical Duty Allowance areas, and 2023 25 per cent/35 per cent CONMESS arrears.
Sequence to their agitations, President Bola Tinubu had last Wednesday dissolved the Governing Council of UNIZIK, and removed Prof Bernard Odoh as its Vice Chancellor, and Mrs Rosemary Nwokike as its Registrar.
Tinubu reiterated that the primary responsibility of university councils is to ensure the smooth operation of university activities in accordance with the act establishing each university.
He, therefore, warned the councils not to create distractions in their universities as his government was focused on improving the country’s education standards.
