NMA strikes over abduction of member’s wife in Cross River

Following the abduction of the wife of one of its member, Mrs. Christiana Ekanem, the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) Cross River chapter has embarked on an indefinite strike.

The captive, an assistant director at the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital (UCTH), was on Tuesday morning kidnapped by unknown gunmen while on her way to work.

The association, in a communiqué jointly signed by its state chairman and secretary, Drs. Agam Ayuk and Ezoke Epoke after an emergency general meeting yesterday in Calabar, Cross River State, regretted that from 2017 till date, more than15 medical doctors or their families had been abducted in the state.

The document read: “The unfortunate incident of the kidnap of the wife of a member of NMA is worrisome. She was kidnapped at her home in Satellite Town in Calabar on Macrh 10, 2020.

“The NMA in Cross River is not unmindful of the impact of the withdrawal of medical services on the good people of Cross River.

“The NMA in Cross River will henceforth withdraw all medical services without any notice anytime a doctor or dependents are taken captive in future.”

It continued: “However, we cannot continue to save lives while we are under constant threat by armed bandits and kidnappers.

“NMA in Cross River has proceeded on a total withdrawal of medical services in private, public and institutional hospitals across the state.

“These include University of Calabar Teaching Hospital; Federal Neuro Psychiatry Hospital; general hospitals; medical centres; mission hospitals and private clinics with immediate effect.”

Calling on the state government and security agencies to speed up the unconditional release of all victims currently in captivity, the medical personnel vowed to sustain the industrial action until Ekanem regains her freedom.

They resolved:  “The association hereby calls on Governor Ben Ayade as the chief security officer of the state to ensure the security of lives and properties in Cross River.

“The association is also calling on President Muhammadu Buhari and the Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, to declare a state of emergency on security in Cross River by mobilising human and material resources to curtail the increasing spate of insecurity in the state.”