UNICAL Dentistry Crisis: Alumni Demand Accountability, No Waiver Request Reported

Calabar, Nigeria — The University of Calabar (UNICAL) Alumni Association has appealed to the Federal Government to grant the university a waiver to recruit additional personnel to fill critical vacancies across its faculties.

President of the Alumni Association, Mr. Paul Ishiemomoh, made the appeal during an interview with the Voice Of the People  (VOP) in Calabar on Monday.

Ishiemomoh said the call became necessary in light of the ongoing crisis involving over 300 Dentistry students, whose admissions now face possible termination due to over-enrolment issues.

A few weeks ago, UNICAL’s Faculty of Dentistry came under scrutiny after it was revealed that the institution had exceeded its admission quota as approved by the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN). The affected students—some in their fourth and fifth years—reported receiving letters summoning them to meetings concerning what the university described as “non-regular” admissions.

Vice Chancellor Prof. Florence Obi acknowledged the situation, noting that the issue predates her administration. She explained that the MDCN had, since 2016, declined to induct UNICAL Dentistry graduates, citing the university’s non-compliance with admission quotas.

Beyond Dentistry: A Larger Crisis Looms

The Alumni Association warned that unless urgent action is taken, other departments could face similar accreditation issues. Ishiemomoh pointed to a shortage of qualified teaching staff as one of the root causes and urged the Federal Ministry of Education to release funds earmarked for upgrading medical schools in selected universities across the country.

“The university is not solely to blame for exceeding its admission quota,” he said. “Parents and the university’s senate must also share responsibility.”

Ishiemomoh criticized some parents for pressuring the university to admit students who did not meet the minimum entry requirements.

“You know your child scored 190, and the cut-off for Medicine is 320, yet you exert pressure or offer inducements to force admission,” he said. “Multiply that pressure from hundreds of parents, and the system buckles.”

Senate and Structural Accountability

He also accused the university senate—which sets admission quotas and oversees academic activities—of complacency.

“If the admission list brought to senate clearly exceeds the approved quota and nobody raises an objection, then blame must be shared. Everyone wants to act innocent now, pointing fingers only at the Dean or the VC,” Ishiemomoh said.

He stressed the need for institutional reform and accountability, beginning with the university senate. He also called on parents to allow their children to pursue disciplines for which they are academically qualified rather than purchasing access into high-demand programs.

“This culture of buying admissions must stop. The university must cleanse itself of systemic rot if we want to avoid future crises,” he concluded.