Members of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) have elected a new set of leaders to direct the association for the next two years.
The association disclosed this in a statement issued on its website on Sunday, May 12.
According to the NMA, the election was conducted at the 2024 Annual Delegates Meeting held in Calabar, Cross River State capital.
The Vice-Chancellor of the Federal University of Health Sciences, Azare, Bauchi State, Bala Audu, emerged as the president of the association, while the founder of the Benjamin Olowojebutu Foundation, Benjamin Olowojebutu, was elected the vice president.
Others who were elected include the Chairman of the Benue State chapter, Usha Anenga, as vice president 2; Ben Egbo as secretary general; Wale Lasisi as the assistant secretary general; Celestine Ugwoke as treasurer; Harrison Omokhua as financial secretary, and Manir Bature as the national publicity secretary.
“The delegates drawn from NMA branches in the country elected new officers to lead the NMA for the next two years,” the association said.
The new President, who is a Professor of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, was with the University of Maiduguri and its teaching hospital until his appointment in 2017 as the Provost of the College of Medical Sciences at the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University, Bauchi. He was later appointed the Vice-Chancellor of The Federal University of Health Sciences.
Audu, with a rich profile as an academic and a longstanding medical practitioner, has trained and mentored many medical professionals in the country and beyond.
The Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) is the professional association for Nigerian doctors and physicians. The body has thousands of members, including some in the diaspora.
According to Francis Faduyile, the association’s president from 2018 – 2020, NMA’s role is to complement the efforts of the federal government in promoting the advancement of health and allied sciences.
However, he noted that the agency is concerned about the welfare of its members.
“And this is what pits us against the government.
“Over the years, the government has been known to not stick to agreements made; in fact, they often simply renege on these agreements
“The health sector is peculiar in that discussions happen with unions at different times. This means that the government’s agreement with Union A might be contradictory to an agreement made with Union D,” he said.
