Cross River State Governor, Bassey Otu, has appealed to protesting members of Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) to return to work, assuring them of the safe release of Prof. Ekanem Philip-Ephraim.
Otu made the plea while addressing members of NMA who stormed the governor’s office for the immediate and unconditional release of their member, Philip-Ephraim, who was kidnapped three weeks ago in her clinic in Calabar.
Recall that NMA had down tools since Philip-Ephraim was abducted, vowing not to go back to work until she is released unconditionally.
While urging the doctors to go back to their work, the governor said: “I want to plead that while we continue to work for the release of your colleague, let doctors do the best they can to save lives, because your main call is to save lives.
“I want you to believe us; we are also very pained, and two wrongs will never make a right.”
“A lot of things are happening in our hospitals, and my administration is poised to ensure an enabling environment is created for you to carry out your statutory duties at all times.
“Nobody is happy that she was kidnapped even for a day. But we will do everything possible to ensure her safe return.”
The governor said his administration is working with security agencies to see that kidnapping is completely eradicated in the state.
While applauding the doctors for their sacrifices to save lives, Otu added: “Though it is a bad situation, at the darkest end of the tunnel, there is always a light. It is true that we have promised a season of sweetness, we will continue to live by the ethos, and I know that Rome was not built in a day.
The journey of a thousand miles begins one day. Not too long, we will clear our society of all miscreants.”
Earlier, the welfare officer of the state chapter NMA, Dr. Mino Magam, said: “We are not even sure if our colleague is safe and well or even alive. We have come because the pains we are suffering are also being suffered by Cross River people.”
Source: The Guardian
