By Gabriel Dike, Lagos
Private universities in the country would soon begin to witness surge in the number of applicants seeking admission due to the incessant strike in public universities, which has disrupted the academic calendar.
The Registrar, Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN), Dr Tajudeen Sanusi, who stated this at 7th induction ceremony of the graduating medical doctors from Benjamin Carson Senior College of Health and Medical Sciences of Babcock University, Ilishan-Remo Ogun State, said many parents, who are tired of strike in public universities are looking towards private universities for admission of their wards.
Sanusi, who administered oath on the graduating medical doctors, urged the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) to devise another means of getting the Federal Government to address their demands.
He said with incessant strike in public universities, the enrollment in private universities has improved, adding, “ASUU went on strike for eight months and the universities were shut and so do you expect parents to look towards public universities again.”
Speaking at the event, the Deputy Vice-Chancellor of Nnamdi Azikiwe University (UNIZIK) Awka, Prof Joseph Ikechebelu, said incessant strikes in public universities has affected the graduation of many students unlike their counterparts in private universities.
Prof Ikechebelu appealed to his colleagues in public universities to think before embarking on strike because of the disruption of the academic calendar.
He observed that in private universities, the academic calendar is uninterrupted and students graduate as at when due.