NAPA Asks Regulatory Agencies Not To Sow Seeds Of Discord In Institutions

LAGOS – The Nigeria Association of Pharmacists in Academia (NAPA) has urged policy makers and regulatory agencies not to be sowing seeds of discord in institutions by making discriminatory policies.

According to a statement jointly signed by Professor Catherine Nonyelum Stanley and Dr Abayomi Ebenezer Omotoso, NAPA National Chairman, the group said such discriminatory policies had been raising concerns in the affected institutions.

The statement was titled: “Criteria for the Selection of Vice Chancellors At the Universities of Medical Sciences Nationwide”.

It stated that the issue had affected the academic landscape, especially as it concerned the eligibility criteria for the election o across the nation.r selection of Vice Chancellors at Universities of Medical Science.

According to the statement read during a press conference in Port Harcourt, Rivers State capital at the weekend, NAPA observed with dismay the requirement that individuals aspiring to occupy the office of the Vice Chancellor of the Universities of Medical Sciences springing up across the country must be medically qualified.

It posited that this is a calculated attempt to exclude pharmacists in academia who, it said are highly educated, skilled and eminently qualified professionals from aspiring to the highest office in the ivory tower.

It added: “This design, if allowed to stand, will obviously create disharmony among the diverse professionals that exist in our university system.”

It noted that the role of the Vice-Chancellor is pivotal in shaping the academic and administrative direction of universities.

According to NAPA, a candidate aspiring to become a Vice Chancellor must be someone with demonstrable capacity to effectively manage human and material resources.

It stressed that academic and administrative prowess and ability to harness both human and material resources for the development and growth of our universities and indeed other institutions/organisations is not the exclusive preserve of any group of professionals.

This, it added, had been proven time and again by nearly two dozen pharmacists that had occupied the office of the Vice Chancellor in both public and private universities and who had performed excellently well.

NAPA stressed that Professor Charles Okechukwu Esimone, a pharmacist of repute, had just completed a five- year tenure as Vice Chancellor at the Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka and that his record of achievements are in the public domain for scrutiny.

Also, it said Professor Peace Chinedum Babalola, another renowned pharmacist is currently the Vice Chancellor of the Chrisland University, Abeokuta, a private university where she has continued to record great exploits and shattering stereotypes.

Besides, it said Professor Oleka Kelechi Udeala, also a renowned pharmacist, served as Vice Chancellor of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, a first-generation public university, in1992 creditably.

Another is Professor Anthony Elujoba, an academic pharmacist, who served as Vice Chancellor of the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-ife, another first-generation university, in 2016 and performed excellently.

It stressed; “This is just to mention a few examples.”

NAPA said that even in the United States of America, Canada and the United Kingdom that often serve as references, the position of the President or Vice Chancellor of their universities is not reserved for any group of professionals.

According to it, the current President of Harvard University in the USA is both a Professor of Economics and a physician, while that of the University of Toronto in Canada is a Professor of Geography and Planning.

It added that the Vice Chancellor of the University of Manchester in the UK is a Political Economist, while that of Oxford University also in the UK, is a Professor of Anaesthetic Neuroscience.

These, it stressed, are Ivy League universities whose leadership is chosen on the basis of competence and capacity rather than primary course of study.

NAPA said: “Traditionally, the position of Vice Chancellor of Nigerian universities had been occupied by diverse professionals ranging from educationists, clinicians, pharmacists, engineers, lawyers, and scientists, as well as arts and social sciences experts with excellent outcomes.

“The current attempt to exclude other practitioners who are not holders of the MBBS degree from aspiring to the leadership of medical universities raises critical questions of inclusive and equal representation in higher education leadership with possible negative consequences top of which is a disharmony in an already fragile work environment.

“Pharmacists are highly trained professionals with extensive knowledge in healthcare, research, and education who play a vital role in public health and contribute significantly to interdisciplinary collaborations in academia.

“It will not be in the best interest of our educational systems to ignore or exclude this vital group of professionals or any other for that matter, with so much needed expertise,

“We are also in possession of a press release made by the National Post Graduate Medical College of Nigeria where the Registrar laboured so much to prove that the fellowships in clinical medicine and dentistry awarded by the college is indeed equivalent to a PhD in other disciplines.

“The National Universities Commission (NUC), the agency of government that regulates university education in Nigeria, had made it unequivocally clear that no Fellowship of the National Postgraduate Medical College of Nigeria (NPMCN) and other fellowships such as that of the West African College of Physicians (WACP) and the West African College of Surgeons (WACS) are not equivalent to a PhD degree.

“This declaration by the NUC, was expected to have laid to rest the erroneous belief that holders of the fellowships have no need of a doctorate programme and end the lingering argument among academic staff and the management of universities.

It is common knowledge that even in organized societies such as the UK, USA and Canada, most clinicians in active academics earn a PhD in addition to their fellowships.

“There are many Nigerian doctors practising and doing excellent work in the diaspora who can corroborate this position and their colleagues at home can take a cue from them and foster a harmonious and equitable working relationship among all stake holders in our universities of medical sciences.

It stressed that while the medics were concluding plans to exclude other healthcare practitioners from aspiring to the office of the Vice Chancellor in medical universities, “we were pleasantly surprised to see the medical alumni of the Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka calling a press conference to protest what they perceived as the deliberate exclusion of their colleagues from aspiring to become Vice Chancellor of the institution due to their lack of a PhD which is a prerequisite for the office.

“This only helps to buttress the fact that what is good for the goose is also good for the gander.

“We wish to state here that many clinicians who already possess a PhD are not afraid and have nothing against this requirement.

“It is our belief that every professional working in the university system should have equal opportunities to grow and thrive and non should be reduced to a second-class citizen.

According to NAPA, In view of the foregoing, we demand as follows:

“That the clause, ‘’medically qualified or medical doctor’’ be expunged as a prerequisite for aspiring to the position of Vice Chancellor of all Universities of Medical Sciences nationwide particularly where programmes allied to medicine such as pharmacy, nursing, physiotherapy, and medical laboratory sciences are also offered.

That the name “University of Health Sciences” be adopted instead of the present name to reflect the multidisciplinary nature of the universities and allow every qualified stakeholder equal and unhindered access to the leadership of these institutions.

“That every effort to exclude members of the Nigeria Association of Pharmacists in Academia (NAPA) from aspiring to lead such universities will be resisted with every legitimate means at our disposal.

That regulatory agencies of government and policy makers should refrain from making discriminatory policies that have the tendency to sow discord in our institutions.

“We, the members of Nigeria Association of Pharmacists in Academia (NAPA) stand with the National Universities Commission (NUC)’s position that PhD remains a terminal degree in the Nigerian University System and it is not equivalent to any other professional certification.

“As a matter of fact, many members of NAPA who are already PhD holders have in addition obtained the fellowship of the West African Postgraduate College of Pharmacists (WAPCP) to enhance their practice

“That the overriding goal of a well coordinated health system whether in our hospitals or academic institutions, should be improved outcomes and overall welfare of our patients and clients as well as our students or trainees.

“In conclusion, we urge all members of NAPA to remain calm while efforts to address these anomalies in the system unfold as the exclusion of pharmacists from aspiring to become Vice-Chancellors is a disservice to our educational institutions and the communities they serve.

‘It is time to embrace diversity in leadership and recognize the invaluable contributions that pharmacists, and indeed other healthcare professionals, can make to higher education.”