The Nigeria Medical Association’s Kogi State branch has ousted its suspended chairman, Dr. Baoku Olusola, and three other executive council members.
News About Nigeria reports that this decision was made during the association’s 2024 Annual General Meeting in Lokoja.
The removed officials were accused of severe misconduct and abuse of power.
According to Dr. Austin Ojotule, Chairman of the Kogi State NMA Disciplinary Committee, the suspended chairman and others failed to defend themselves against allegations despite being given ample opportunity.
Their refusal to respond was seen as an admission of guilt.
“The State Disciplinary Committee also observed that the failure of the Chairman, Dr Baoku Olusola, to convene a State Executive Committee meeting in the last six months is a violation of the bylaws. The chairman unilaterally petitioned members of the association, the Chief Medical Director, the MD, and the CMAC of Federal Teaching Hospital Lokoja, to the law enforcement agency without exhausting the internal mechanism for crisis resolution.
“The chairman unilaterally engaged a lawyer in the name of the association in a petition he wrote against the CMD FTHL to the Minister of Health without approval from SOC/SEC.
“The Abuja NMA NEC’s directive to resolve the crisis in the state was not obeyed by the suspended Chairman, Dr Baoku Olusola. The committee did not have access to the association’s account to determine the suspended chairman and other executives’ dealing with the account because the account has been frozen.”
Ojotule, in the report, recommended the impeachment of the suspended chairman, and the three others with effect from the date they were suspended.
“This is by Article 5 Section 4a (ii) of the NMA Constitution. We are also recommending an audit committee be set up to audit the account by the incoming exco,” he added.
