The Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Mr. Peter Obi, has once again expressed deep concern over the state of education in Nigeria, particularly the challenges confronting students in critical fields of study.
His concern followed recent developments surrounding the Dental School of the University of Calabar (UNICAL), which have raised alarms across the nation.
In a statement, Obi recounted how, during a recent visit to the Faculty of Dental Studies at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), he was inundated with reports concerning the plight of dental students at UNICAL.
The students are reportedly facing delays in their graduation and induction processes due to regulatory quota restrictions, sparking widespread frustration and anxiety within the academic community.
Although the full details of the situation are still emerging, Obi acknowledged the recent assurances made by the Vice Chancellor of UNICAL, who pledged that efforts are underway to address the crisis.
“I commend the Vice Chancellor for the promise to find a resolution to this matter,” Obi stated. “I look forward to a swift and favourable resolution that will ensure the affected students can continue their education without further hindrance.”
Emphasizing his stance, Obi declared unequivocally that under no circumstances should students be made to bear the consequences of institutional or leadership shortcomings.
“Whatever the underlying causes may be, no student should have their academic and professional future jeopardized due to a failure of leadership,” he affirmed.
“Our youths deserve unhindered access to quality education, especially in strategic fields like science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). The education of our children is too critical to be undermined by administrative inefficiencies or bureaucratic hurdles.”
Drawing from his experience as the former Governor of Anambra State, Obi narrated a similar challenge he confronted during his tenure.
He recalled that upon assuming office, he was confronted with a crisis at the Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University, where the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN) had shut down the institution’s medical school over the absence of a teaching hospital — a fundamental requirement for accreditation.
“I remember vividly how painful it was for me to see medical students who had already invested three to four years in their studies being told they could only graduate as biologists or in other science disciplines,” Obi lamented.
“I had only been in office for less than a year, but I refused to allow those innocent students to become victims of a problem they did not create.”
Determined to find a solution, Obi engaged with the MDCN, appealing that the students should not suffer for the failures of the system. He made a firm commitment to build a fully functional teaching hospital within two years — a promise many deemed unrealistic.
“They said it was impossible to build a standard teaching hospital within two years, but I remained resolute. I believed that leadership must be about providing solutions, especially when the futures of young people are at stake,” Obi recounted.
True to his word, Obi successfully built and commissioned the Odumegwu-Ojukwu Teaching Hospital in Awka in less than 18 months, thereby restoring accreditation to the medical school and securing the professional futures of the students involved.
In light of this, Obi called on the Federal Government to immediately intervene in the ongoing UNICAL crisis by providing both financial and institutional support to the university’s leadership.
“The Vice Chancellor and her team must be equipped with the necessary resources and authority to resolve this matter decisively. No student should have to suffer delays or derailment in their education due to circumstances beyond their control,” he urged.
Obi further stressed that at this pivotal moment in Nigeria’s development, it is imperative for the government to prioritize education and healthcare, as these are the pillars for lifting citizens out of poverty and driving national growth.
He decried the persistent neglect of these critical sectors, cautioning against the misallocation of national resources to ventures that offer no real value to the citizenry.
“Our children must not continue to lose their future in Nigeria,” Obi warned. “The future of our nation depends on how well we invest in our youths today. It is our collective responsibility to ensure that they are provided with the tools and opportunities to succeed.”