By, Atibile Williams.
The Cross River state Governor, His Excellency, Sen. Bassey Edet Otu Monday in Calabar appealed to striking doctors in the state on the auspices of Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), to call off ongoing industrial action for the sake of dying patients they professionally swore to protect as his administration remains committed to safe return of their abducted colleague, Prof. Ekanem Philip Ephraim who was kidnapped in Calabar.
In a plea to peaceful protesters of this noble Association demanding immediate and unconditional release of their abducted member, the governor noted that two wrongs don’t make a right as he and relevant security agencies are working round the clock to rid state of criminal elements perpetrating havoc. In his words
“I want to plead that while we still continue to work for the release of your colleague, please let doctors do the best that they can to save lives, because your main call is to save lives.
“Nobody is happy that she was taken even for a day apart from the criminal elements. But we will continue to do everything possible to ensure her safe return to the confines of her family and the association.
“I want you to believe us, that just like you, we are also very pained and we are pained that two wrongs will never make a right.
“A lot of things are happening in our hospitals and my administration is poised to ensure the enabling environment is created for you to carryout your statutory duties at all times.” The governor assured.
Continuing, Sen. Otu applauded indelible contributions and sacrifices of doctors in the state, even as his administration will not be defeated by the challenges of those involved in nefarious activities.
“Though it is a bad situation but at the darkest end of the tunnel, there is always light.
It is true that we have promised the season of sweetness, we will continue to live by the ethos and I know that Rome was not built in a day. Likewise, the journey of a thousand miles begin one day.
Not too long, we will clear our society of all miscreants,” Otu stated.
Earlier, the welfare officer of the state chapter of the National Association of Resident Doctors, Dr. Mino Magam disclosed that the Association is worried over the wellbeing of Prof. Ekanem who has been in captivity for over 25 days with a heart full of trauma.
Dr. Magam acknowledged damages caused by their continues down-tool occasioned by growing insecurity in the state.
“We are not even sure if our colleague is safe, if she is well and if she is alive.
We have come because of the pains we are suffering. We know that other Cross River people are also suffering the pain.
“We have come because our absence from our duty posts at this very moment is a reflection of the sad situation in the state in the sense that we cannot even give account of the morbidity and mortality that are silent and still going on in the state right now,” Magam said.
