Yemi Obafemi
Former presidential candidate Peter Obi has called on the Federal Government to urgently intervene in the challenges facing the Faculty of Dental Studies at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), and related issues at the University of Calabar (UNICAL), emphasizing the need for immediate financial and institutional support.
A group of resolute students from the Faculty of Dentistry at the University of Calabar (UNICAL) staged a peaceful protest on Wednesday, calling for immediate induction and improvements to their learning facilities. Braving harsh weather conditions, the students—clad in lab coats and scrubs—marched to the Ministries of Health and Education, urging authorities to provide answers and take swift action.
In a statement shared via his X handle, Obi described the situation as a “failure of leadership,” stressing that no student should be made to suffer due to bureaucratic or institutional lapses.
“Whatever the root cause, one thing is clear: no student should suffer due to what I consider a failure of leadership,” he said.
“We must give our youth the necessary education, particularly in critical fields like science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM).”
Obi disclosed that during his visit to the Faculty of Dental Studies at UNN, he received several reports concerning a similar crisis at UNICAL involving the graduation and induction quotas for dental students.
While acknowledging the recent assurance by UNICAL’s Vice Chancellor that steps would be taken to resolve the crisis, Obi insisted on swift and concrete action.
He drew parallels to his experience as Governor of Anambra State, when the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria shut down the medical school at Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University due to the absence of a teaching hospital.
He recalled how he took responsibility and completed a functional teaching hospital—now known as Odumegwu Ojukwu Teaching Hospital in Awka—within 18 months, saving the future of affected students.
“I pleaded with the Council and told them that the children did not cause the issue and should not be made to suffer for it,” he said. “Leaders must be solution-driven, especially when the lives and futures of our young people are at stake.”
He urged the Federal Government to empower the UNICAL leadership to resolve the crisis without delay and called for greater investment in education and healthcare, particularly in areas that directly impact national development.
“At this critical time in our nation, we cannot afford to continue the downward trend of neglecting education and healthcare, or of failing to lift people out of poverty, while wasting resources on areas that bring no tangible value,” Obi added.
