Reps orders probe into UNICAL dentistry students crisis

Reps

The House of Representatives on Tuesday called on the Federal Government, through the Ministry of Education, to conduct a forensic investigation into the crisis rocking the Faculty of Dentistry, University of Calabar.

The decision of the House was sequel to the adoption of a motion of urgent public importance co-sponsored by the House Minority Leader, Kingsley Chinda and Ahmad Jaha during Tuesday’s plenary.

Speaking on the substance of the motion, Jaha noted that over 300 Dentistry students at the University of Calabar, Cross River State are going through difficult times, following the refusal of the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria to induct graduates from the university’s Faculty of Dentistry due to persistent over-admission beyond the Council’s approved annual quota of only 10 students as a result of provisional accreditation of the faculty.

The situation, Jaha added, “Has resulted in a complete academic standstill, with the university authorities recently directing all students in the Faculty of Dentistry across all levels-to vacate campus indefinitely, pending a resolution of the impasse.”

He continued, “The House is aware that students, some in their final year of training, have invested significant time, resources, psychological and emotional energy toward earning their Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS) degree, but now face devastating uncertainty, loss of career prospects, and psychological distress through no fault of theirs.

“The House is also aware that the Vice Chancellor of the University has publicly acknowledged administrative failures in the over-enrolment process and has proposed non-consensual remedies including the redirection of students to other faculties or institutions, which many affected students strongly oppose.

“The House is disturbed that unless urgent and coordinated action is taken, the education and professional aspirations of hundreds of young Nigerians will be unjustly truncated, causing reputational damage to the Nigerian higher education system. ” Punch