UNICAL dentistry students protest school’s move to ‘terminate’ their admission after seven years

The dentistry students at the University of Calabar (UNICAL) have cried out after the alleged move by the management of the institution to vacate the premises due to unauthorised admission. 

In a now-trending video, one of the UNICAL students, who spoke on behalf of his colleagues, expressed dismay over the matter.

He claimed that his colleagues, with whom he has attended classes, are being asked to go home after spending seven years in the school.

“Seven years ago, the University of Calabar admitted my colleagues into this fine institution in the hopes that after a certain period of time, they would graduate without any issues,” the unnamed student dressed in a laboratory coat said.

“Fast forward to now, they are telling them that after spending seven years in this school, that may not happen.

“These are my friends. I have laughed and played with these people. So, you are trying to tell them that they should uproot their lives after passing their exams, spending countless times trying to make this dream work.”

There were also reports that the accreditation of the department of dentistry had expired.

Speaking on the development on Tuesday, Effiong Uyo, the spokesperson of UNICAL, said university management has addressed the circumstances that led to the issue.

Uyo said the management is collaborating with the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN) to increase its quota from 10 students per session to a substantial number.

The PRO admitted that there was a disagreement after the school tried to increase its quota without the appropriate authorisation.

Florence Obi, vice-chancellor of UNICAL, stated that the matter is unrelated to the accreditation status, which, according to her, remains valid until 2027.

She stated that the school had failed to adhere to the 10 students per admission quota since the programme’s inception in the 2013/2014 academic session.

The VC said the university’s management, including the provost of the College of Medical Sciences and the dean of dentistry recently met with the leadership of the MDCN in Abuja over the issue.

She added that it was agreed at the meeting that some students would be transferred to other accredited institutions, while 31 graduates awaiting induction and 28 who are due for resit examinations will wait until the re-verification process is completed.

The VC said the MDCN advised the university in 2022 to halt further admissions, allowing the council to work on the modalities for graduating existing students.

She stated that the university has fully complied with this directive, with current students now enrolled in 400, 500, and 600 levels.

“The dentistry programme was granted pre-clinical accreditation in November 2019 and full clinical accreditation in December 2022,” the VC said.

“The next accreditation is due in 2027, so the current situation is not about loss of accreditation but about excess admissions carried out over the years.

“The dentistry programme at UNICAL has not lost its accreditation. No student has been abandoned, and those awaiting induction are not part of the transfer arrangements. We remain committed to protecting the future of our students.”