Obi’s statement follows reports of delays in the graduation and induction of dental students at UNICAL, reportedly linked to accreditation and quota issues. Although the details are still unfolding, the Vice Chancellor of the university has assured the public that measures are being taken to resolve the crisis.
While commending the Vice Chancellor’s commitment, Obi emphasised the need for swift and practical action. “Whatever the root cause, one thing is clear: no student should suffer due to what I consider a failure of leadership,” he said.
The former governor stressed the importance of education—particularly in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM)—to national development, insisting that bureaucratic lapses should never jeopardise students’ futures. “Students must remain in school and graduate appropriately without compromising standards,” he added.
Drawing from personal experience, Obi recalled a similar crisis during his tenure as Governor of Anambra State when the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria withdrew accreditation from the state’s medical school at Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University due to the absence of a teaching hospital. At the time, students who had spent up to four years studying medicine were at risk of graduating with unrelated science degrees.
