NMA suspends erstwhile UniUyo Chairman indefinitely for dragging association to court
The Medical and Dental Specialists Association in Basic Medical Sciences, MeDSABAMS, has suspended its erstwhile chairman, University of Uyo branch, Akwa Ibom State, Dr Ekemini Johnson indefinitely for taking the association to court without first exploring the window of internal mechanism of dispute resolution inherent in the association
This is contained in a communique endorsed by the National President of MeDSABAMS, Dr John Anionye, the National Secretary General, Dr Tasiu Ibrahim and issued to journalists on Saturday, at the end of the association’s 5th Annual General Meeting and Scientific Conference held in Uyo themed, “Scaling Up Medical Education in Nigeria for the 21st Century Healthcare.”
The conference regretted that the embattled chairman, instead of complying with the National Officers Committee’s directives to step down because she was on study leave and staff development for 3 years from 2024 to 2027, dragged the association and the NMA Chairman of Akwa Ibom State, to court seeking a court injunction to stop the holding of the AGM in Uyo, which according to them would have adversely affected innocent members from other branches of MeDSABAMS and all over the country.
The House said the suspension would only be lifted pending her withdrawal of the matter from court and tendering of unreserved apology to the association.
The communique in parts, “The House resolved to suspend indefinitely the erstwhile chairman of the UNIUYO Branch of the association, Dr (Mrs) Ekemini Johnson, for taking the association to court without first using the internal mechanisms available to her to resolve whatever dispute she had with her branch members and the decision of the NOC of the association that she steps aside, consequent on the verification that she was on a 3-year Study Leave. She is to remain on suspension, until the time she withdraws the case from court and tenders an unreserved apology to the association.”
Speaking on other sundry issues, the Conference called on stakeholders to seek a review of the curriculum for medical education across all levels to reflect the realities of the times.
It also charged the NOC of MeDSABAMS to use all necessary means to make government understand the need for improving the welfare of trainers of Doctors and providing the necessary facilities, laboratories and general environment that would improve health indices, “deepen impact and build systems where every Nigerian Child, regardless of geography or background, can access compassionate, competent and contemporary medical training and healthcare.”
The House acknowledged the steps taken so far by the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) and the National Association of Medical and Dental Academics, NAMDA, in advocating for better welfare for doctors in the ongoing Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) with the federal government.
It urged the givernmnet to step up its game by ensuring “Universal Applicability” of CONMESS and its accompanying
allowances, up to the age of 70 years for Medical Lecturers.
“This can be fully applied to Medics with MBBS/BDS and M.Sc. and PhD degrees, as well as Clinical Lecturers with fellowship qualifications, in Nigerian Universities. This we believe will put an end to the continuous breathing down the necks of Medics in Nigerian Universities by University Managements and their Bursary Departments.
“MeDSABAMS also expects the NMA and NAMDA to insist on the introduction of new welfare packages and
allowances as already presented by MeDSABAMS and included in the current CBA documents, that will stop the external brain drain (Japa syndrome) and the internal brain drain (migration to the clinical sciences from the preclinical sciences), affecting the Basic Medical and Basic Clinical Sciences, due to the poor remuneration of the preclinical lecturers and the large disparity between them and doctors working
in the clinical sciences,” the communique added.