The Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) has denied a report in Vanguard Newspaper that doctors in Lagos State who were fired by the government are lobbying to be reinstated.
The Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) has denied a report in Vanguard Newspaper that doctors in Lagos State who were fired by the government are lobbying to be reinstated.
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In a statement yesterday, the association described the story as “scurrilous, outright falsehood and a desperate attempt to blackmail the President and leadership of the Nigerian Medical Association, as well as distract the NMA leadership from her commitment to a just and quick resolution” of the conflict between its members and the Lagos state government. It gave Vanguard one week to apologize and retract the story, or face legal proceedings.
In the story, which was published in yesterday’s edition of the newspaper, Vanguard said it was told by a source that the President of the NMA, Dr. Osahon Enabulele, was unhappy with the position of the Medical Guild on the Consolidated Medical Salary Structure, but was afraid that if he failed to dance to the tune of the doctors he might be impeached.
The NMA said that to think Dr. Enabulele who was overwhelmingly elected only 17days ago would be bothered about impeachment over his courageous and progressive handling of the Lagos quagmire “is ridiculous and ludicrous,” pointing out that he has an unblemished track record as a progressive crusader for social justice.
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“Nigerians and indeed the whole world are very much aware that for over a week the NMA President and the national leadership of the NMA have consistently made efforts to resolve the labour crisis in Lagos State, despite the hard line anti-labour posture of the Lagos State government,” the statement said.
The doctors expressed regret that Vanguard correspondents Sola Ogundipe and Chioma Obinna “cheaply lent themselves to such a wicked act of blackmail and yellow journalism” without cross-checking with Dr. Enabulele, whose phone numbers they possess.
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