The Cross River chapter of the Nigeria Medical Association (NMA) has called off its strike, which it had embarked on on July 16, following the abduction of one of its members, Prof. Ekanem Ephraim.
This was made known by Dr. Felix Archibong, the Chairman of the Cross River chapter of the Nigeria Medical Association (NMA) chapter after an emergency general meeting by the association on Saturday in Calabar.
Archibong said that the NMA has given the state government 14 days to rescue their colleague, Prof. Ephraim. After that, they will meet again to review the government’s actions and determine their next course of action.
“Following a letter of appeal from Gov. Bassey Otu, advice of the national president of the association and for the sake of many of the citizens who are suffering, we have suspended the strike to give the government time to rescue our member.”
“This action has been carried out despite the fact that our member has not been released; however, if any of our member is kidnapped again, we will go back to strike.”
He said, “We are appealing to security agents to step up and maintain the momentum that has been established in the last few weeks, which has reduced cases of kidnapping in the state,”
The chairman said that the association is praying for the safe return of the abducted doctor, but if the worst-case scenario happens, the government should provide a framework for a closure to the matter.
He said that this would allow the family to grieve the loss of their loved one and for the government to provide the necessary support to those who have been affected.
Archibong appealed to members of the public with information that could lead to the rescue of the abducted neurologist to come forward, as the governor had offered a reward of N5 million for the capture of the kidnappers.
Prof. Ekanem Ephraim, a neurologist at the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital (UCTH), was kidnapped from her home in Calabar on July 13 by people posing as patients.