STRIKE: NMA PRESIDENT RESIGNS AS ASSOCIATION BREAKS INTO 2

The ongoing strike has taken its toll on doc¬tors as two factions have emerged from its apex body, the Nigerian Medical As¬sociation (NMA).
This is just as the president of the association Dr. Kayode Obembe resigned from office yesterday stating that he had to throw in the towel, since a faction of the association insisted on carrying on with the strike.
“There have been requests about two postings from the NMA secretariat. I want to make it categorically clear that I stand by the docu¬ment I signed that the strike was suspended. And since it’s upon my integrity and honour, I cannot continue to drive the doctrine that the strike continues. I hereby ten¬der my letter of resignation as NMA president” he stated in the resignation letter dated 8th August.
As at Thursday evening the faction led by the Obem¬be issued a statement calling doctors back to work, while the group led by the asso¬ciation’s First Vice-President Dr. Titus Ibekwe sent out an¬other statement that the NMA was yet to call off the strike.
Obembe had insisted in the statement he issued on Thursday that “the Federal Government had reacted positively to all our 24-point demand”. Just as he opined that doctors could no longer ignore the pleadings of Ni¬gerians as well as the inter¬ventions from the Presidency and the National Assembly.
However, Saturday Sun gathered that the delegates meeting of the association held on Wednesday night till the early hours of Thurs¬day morning at Vinyl Hotel, Abuja, almost degenerated into fisticuffs and with some doctors resorting to name calling.
Saturday Sun findings also showed that while some members wanted the strike to continue citing Federal Gov¬ernment’s refusal to accede to their 24- point demand, others demanded for the industrial action to be sus¬pended, moving for the im¬peachment of, Dr Obembe. A few state chapter chairmen in attendance at Wednesday’s meeting raised an alarm that politicians had infiltrated the association. Worst still, ma¬jority of doctors are insisting that most of their demands be met before they return to work.
A high ranking member of the NMA said doctors were ready to continue with the strike as long as it takes the Federal government to re¬spond to their demands.
Source: Sun