The Vice Chancellor of the University of Calabar (UNICAL), Professor Florence Obi, has appealed for calm among students and parents amid the ongoing controversy surrounding the non-induction of the 2016 Dentistry class.
Appearing on The Morning Brief on Channels Television, Prof. Obi reassured affected students that efforts are underway to resolve the issue with the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN), promising a solution within the next few months.
“I want to really appeal to the students and to parents… some students are getting depressed and even threatening suicide,” she said. “On my honour, we will work with MDCN to resolve this.”
The crisis stems from a breach of MDCN’s directive which approved an annual intake of only 10 students for UNICAL’s Dentistry programme. Instead, the university admitted 60, a decision Prof. Obi said was made without proper authorization and has resulted in MDCN withholding induction for the affected students.
The Vice Chancellor explained that efforts are being made to hire the necessary staff and secure the required dental clearance to meet MDCN standards. She said she plans to personally appeal to the Minister of Education to fast-track the resolution process.
“We may not yet have the final solution,” she said, “but by next week I will travel and plead with the Honourable Minister to help us secure the approvals we need. If we get clearance and employ the staff quickly, we can begin inductions within one or two months.”
Prof. Obi also acknowledged internal lapses, revealing that university officials—including the dean, admission officer, and provost—have been implicated in the overadmission. She vowed that disciplinary measures would follow.
“We are invoking the university’s internal mechanisms. There will be consequences,” she said.
Despite not initiating the crisis, Prof. Obi accepted full responsibility as the institution’s head, adding that she remains personally invested in finding a lasting solution. “I take responsibility, even for the ones I inherited,” she said.
The affected students have been protesting for weeks, demanding induction and official recognition of their degrees, as many of them remain in limbo years after completing academic requirements.
