By Edem Ekpo
Amid growing national concern over the uncertain future of 392 dental students of the University of Calabar (UNICAL), Senator Asuquo Ekpenyong has initiated a high-powered legislative intervention to forestall academic and professional ruin for the affected undergraduates.
Describing the situation as an “educational emergency,” Senator Ekpenyong who represents Cross River South convened an emergency meeting on Monday at the National Assembly with key stakeholders, including the Registrar of the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN), Professor Fatima Kyari; Chairperson of the Senate Committee on Health, Senator Ipalibo Harry-Banigo; and leadership of the University of Calabar Students’ Union.
The crisis stems from UNICAL’s persistent violation of the MDCN’s approved quota of 10 students per year for its Faculty of Dentistry, resulting in widespread over-enrolment and the Council’s refusal to induct recent graduates, effectively stalling their professional careers.
Prof. Kyari, in her briefing, noted that the Council had issued repeated warnings over the breach but was ignored by the university’s management.
“This level of over-admission violates accreditation regulations, compromises training quality, and risks producing underprepared professionals,” she said.
Reacting to the grave situation, Senator Ekpenyong emphasized the urgency of finding realistic solutions.
“We are not here to assign blame; we are here to act , swiftly and constructively. These 392 young Nigerians cannot be made victims of systemic administrative failure,” he stated.
He proposed a one-time MDCN-supervised waiver for final-year students who have met clinical and academic requirements, to allow them to be inducted. Ekpenyong also called for targeted TETFund investments in dental training infrastructure at UNICAL and suggested possible reassignment of some students to other medical programs where capacity exists.
The Senator further recommended that the Senate Committee on Tertiary Education summon the University’s Vice Chancellor and the Provost of its College of Medical Sciences to explain how such large-scale over-enrolment was allowed to persist.
Echoing this stance, Senator Harry-Banigo urged the MDCN to return with actionable solutions before an upcoming meeting with UNICAL authorities.
“Students must not bear the cost of institutional negligence. Our national credibility in healthcare education is on the line,” she warned.
Meanwhile, in a separate but related development, the House of Representatives on Tuesday adopted a motion calling for a forensic investigation into the Dentistry crisis. The motion, co-sponsored by Minority Leader Kingsley Chinda and Rep. Ahmad Jaha, highlighted the psychological trauma, financial loss, and academic limbo facing the students, some of whom are in their final year of training.
The House urged the Federal Ministry of Education to work with the National Universities Commission (NUC) and the MDCN to audit the Faculty of Dentistry, covering admission records, infrastructure, and staffing levels. It also directed UNICAL to immediately suspend all punitive measures affecting students and adopt consultative remedial strategies, such as catch-up modules, phased inductions, or inter-institutional transfers.
Additionally, the House called on the MDCN to develop a temporary induction framework based on verified competencies, while legislative committees on Tertiary Education, Health, and Youth Development were mandated to investigate the matter and report back within four weeks.
As public outrage and student anxiety mount, both chambers of the National Assembly have vowed to maintain active oversight until a just, fair, and permanent resolution is achieved.