The Enugu State Chapter of the Nigeria Medical Association (NMA), under the leadership of Dr. Sunday Okafor, has dismissed claims of leadership imposture within its branch. This response follows a letter purportedly written by NMA’s Secretary General, Dr. Benjamin Egbo, circulating on social media, which suggests the existence of an illegitimate faction in the Enugu branch.
In his statement, Dr. Okafor called on the NMA’s National President, Dr. Bala Audu, to address some members of the National Officers’ Committee (NOC) whom he accused of engaging in unlawful activities and causing embarrassment to the NMA, particularly in Enugu and other state branches. He urged that action be taken to preserve the association’s reputation.
Dr. Okafor, along with the State Secretary, Dr. Chima Edoga, explained that the Enugu branch unanimously decided during its September meeting to refute these claims. They accused the Secretary General of attempting to create confusion and crisis among Enugu members through coercion and intimidation.
They also emphasized that the NMA Enugu branch, like other state branches, operates autonomously in line with the NMA’s constitution. Dr. Okafor pointed out that the current leadership of the NMA Enugu State, elected by the Congress, is legitimate and recognized by the Board of Trustees (BoT) of the association in a letter dated September 23, 2024.
Furthermore, Dr. Okafor highlighted that the group challenging the leadership is led by a suspended member of the NMA, who is ineligible to hold any position in the association according to the NMA’s rules and constitution. He stressed that this member did not meet the constitutional requirements to vie for the Chairmanship position, even if he were not suspended.