By Stephen Adeleye
Lokoja, July 15, 2024
The Congress of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) Kogi chapter, has suspended its Chairman, Dr Olusola Baoku, over allegations of financial infringements.
It was gathered that Baoku’s suspension was announced by a former Kogi NMA Chairman, Dr. David Ayemila, shortly after an emergency meeting of the congress on Saturday in Lokoja.
Ayemila disclosed that Baoku was suspended on the allegation of constitutional, administrative and financial infringements.
He told Journalists that a committee had been constituted to pilot the affairs of the association till August 11, 2024, when election will be held to produce new executives.
Ayemila said that the congress resolved to ensure there was no vacuum by empowering the committee of Past Chairmen (CPC), Chaired by himself and Dr Zubair Kabiru as Secretary, to run the association in the interim.
He alleged that the crisis that affected the association was as a result of the way and manner the erstwhile chairman handled the association’s affairs.
“Our committee was inaugurated today July 13, 2024, to watch the activities of NMA in Kogi untill August 11, when a new leadership of the association would be elected”, Ayemila said.
He disclosed that seven members of the 2022-2023 Kogi NMA exco under Baoku, had earlier tendered their resignation letters following the crisis rocking the association.
Ayemila stressed that the dissolution of the remaining state Exco was as a result of their failure to managed the association well, and avoidable challenges.
He accused the suspended chairman of his inability to organise meetings where far reaching decision should be taken.
Ayemila, therefore urged members who are seasoned professional doctors to support and cooperate with the committee to discharge their current assignment with all the vigours it required.
He added: “The congress also empowered the transmission of all the powers of the State Officers Committee (SOC) to the committee of past chairmen.
“The committee is to ensure that the medical and surgical outreach proposed for Okene holds, including a successful election and Annual General Meeting, (AGM)”.
Also confirming the suspension, a forner NMA Chairman and CPC Secretary Dr Kabiru Zubair, told NAN that it was true Baoku and his remaining State Officer’s Committee (SOC) have been suspended.
“It is true that the Chairman and his remaining State Officer’s Committee (SOC) have been suspended, and referred to face the State Disciplinary Committee (SDC) to enable them get a fair hearing, in accordance with the NMA constitution and State Bye-law.
“The Committee of Past Chairmen (CPC) have been mandated by a well attended State Congress to oversee the affairs of the Association between now and August 11, 2024 when a new set of executives would have been elected through a properly conducted state election,” Zubair said.
However, Baoku, while responding to the development, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), that his purported suspension by the congress was a coup orchestrated by unknown faces.
“My purported suspension was an orchestrated coup carried out by unknown faces who are not doctors or members of NMA in Kogi.
“I can categorically confirm to you that I am still the incumbent Chairman of NMA in Kogi, and I will still resume at my office at NMA Secretariat on Monday to perform my constitutional roles.
“You can come to the Kogi NMA Secretariat on Monday to confirm what I am saying, I still remain the chairman of NMA in Kogi.
“The alleged financial recklessness and other allegations leveled against me, are baseless and unsubstantiated with no backup documents.
“Let them present the documents where I have been indicted of any form of financial recklessness,” Baoku said.
(NAN)
