Confusion As 2 Officials Claim Akwa Ibom NMA Chair

Two members have claimed the chairmanship position of the Akwa Ibom State branch of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), LEADERSHIP gathered yesterday in Uyo, the state capital.

This came on the heels of series of denials that the current leadership tussle rocking the association in the state is not instigated and sponsored by the personal physician to the governor, Dr Ekem John, who has been absolved in the ugly developments that led to the purported impeachment of the state chairman, Prof. Emem Abraham and her vice, Dr Anietie Utuk.

The factional acting chairman, Dr Useneobong Morgan, disclosed in an interview yesterday that the governor’s personal physician has no hand in the purported removal of Prof Abraham and Dr Utuk, describing it as purely internal.

According to him, the duo’s alleged removal stemmed from lack of accountability and due process in running the association.

He said, “They were impeached on the grounds of running the NMA Akwa Ibom State for five months without a budget while expending millions of naira and presenting to the State Executive Council (SEC) a financial statement for free medical outreach accounting for only N6 million out of N34 million.”

He listed other grounds for their impeachment, including alleged breaching of the NMA National Constitution and Akwa Ibom State bylaws, unconstitutionally ejecting members from the association’s Whatsapp group, and other anomalies.

He further linked the crisis to the presentation of a financial statement for NMA Creche without showing income, high-handedness, impersonating the secretary in official communication and illegally suspending the president, Association of Resident Doctors (ARD), chairman, National Association of Government General Medical and Dental Practitioners (NAGGMDP), and NMA secretary.

Similarly, Dr Morgan, who called for the immediate withdrawal of privileges accrued to the embattled chairman and vice chairman said the briefing was timely to inform the public of the changes in the association’s leadership.

“As the secretary of the NMA, I was made to be the acting chairman of the association under the hierarchy of the chairman and vice being impeached, and that is why I’m here to notify you that that change has occurred and we request that, following the resolution of the congress,

everyone should cease and withdraw all forms of recognitions and privileges accrued to the suspended persons going forward because the congress has made an acting chairman, which is me,” he stated.

Reacting, Abraham dismissed the allegation as petty, insisting she remained the chairman of the NMA in the state.