Governor Bassey Otu has called on the management of the University of Calabar (UNICAL) to review its admission policy in favour of Cross River indigenes seeking admission into the institution’s College of Medical Sciences, particularly the Medicine and Surgery programme.
The governor made the appeal at the 56th Sponsio and Oath-Taking Ceremony for newly qualified medical doctors held at the International Conference Centre of the University of Calabar, where he was represented by the Cross River State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Henry Egbe Ayuk.
Governor Otu said the Cross River State Government was no longer comfortable with what he described as the abysmally low admission quota allocated to qualified students from the state who seek admission to study medicine at the university.
He maintained that as the host state of the federal institution, Cross River deserves greater consideration in the admission process, stressing that increasing the admission quota for qualified indigenous students would promote equity, fairness and inclusiveness.
“There could be no better demonstration of equity and fair play than ensuring that deserving students from the host state are given improved opportunities to pursue medical education in the institution,” the governor stated.
Governor Otu further reaffirmed his administration’s unwavering commitment to providing a peaceful and secure environment conducive to teaching, learning and research, noting that the state has continued to enjoy remarkable peace under his leadership.
He expressed delight that since the inception of his administration nearly three years ago, there had been no reported incident of kidnapping involving students or lecturers in the state, describing the achievement as a testament to the government’s sustained investment in security and public safety.
The governor assured the university community that his administration would continue to collaborate with educational institutions to create an enabling environment for academic excellence, human capital development and professional training.
The 56th Sponsio and Oath-Taking Ceremony marked the formal induction of a new set of medical doctors into the medical profession, with dignitaries, academics, health professionals, parents and well-wishers in attendance.
By Kingsley Agim
