Again, NMA Protests Appointment of New VC for Unijos

By Seriki Adinoyi in Jos

The Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) has, for the second time, protested the appointment of a new Vice Chancellor for the University of Jos with criteria that allegedly tactically edged out some of its members in the university from contesting for the position.

Professor Sebastian Maimako was last Friday appointed as the ninth Vice Chancellor of the university to take over from Professor Hayward Mafuyai whose tenure expires on June 23, this year.

This was after an interview by the institution’s Governing council led by Chief Don Etiebet in which no fewer than eighteen candidates participated.

But the NMA said it had secured a court order the previous day restraining the Governing council from going ahead with the exercise but the council went ahead to announce a new Vice Chancellor in contempt of the court order.

It was gathered that members of the institution’s chapter of the NMA who have been at logger head with the university council will today (Monday) initiate a contempt of court proceedings against the university.

There are fears that the motion, if successful, may stall the inauguration of the new VC in June.

The current controversy surrounding the appointment of the VC started in 2011 when the university advertised for the position stating that to qualify for the position, a candidate must be a professor of at least five years standing, and must possess a doctorate degree (Ph.D).

The advertisement had triggered apprehension among members of the NMA, who perceived it as a ploy to disenfranchise them from the race seeing that for some of them that pass through residency training are never awarded Ph.D but a Fellowship at the end of their training. This development made the association to approach the court to contest the criteria.

The doctors had argued that the number of years spent going through residency training were enough to place them on the same level as holders of PhD degree, and as such should not be excluded from the race.

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