By Funso Alarape
Thursday March 21, 2024
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The Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), Ekiti State Branch, has said that any practicing medical doctor whose name is not on the register of Medical Practitioners in Nigeria is an impostor and a criminal.
The Association’s statement is not unconnected to the discovery of one, Mr. Olalekan Timothy Fasipe working with the Ekiti State Hospital Management Board as a medical doctor but which the NMA claimed was a quack doctor.
Disowning Mr Fasipe who the NMA claimed has been arrested and being prosecuted as advised by the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN), the Association warned that
any quack who may be parading himself or herself as a medical doctor in Ekiti State the arms of the law will certainly catch up with the person.
Here is the full press statement issued by the Ekiti NMA and signed by the Chairman, Dr. Babatunde O. Rosiji, and the Secretary, Dr. Moses B. Dada.
PRESS RELEASE BY THE NIGERIAN MEDICAL ASSOCIATION, EKITI STATE BRANCH ON THE CASE OF FORGERY OF CERTIFICATE BY ‘DR.’ TIMOTHY OLALEKAN FASIPE
We are making this press release out of a sense of duty and responsibility to the entire citizenry of our dear State.
Ours is a noble profession with very high ethical standards as our calling places on us the demand to care for human lives; a calling which is tasking but also brings so much gratification to be privileged to have such a critical role.
The training of medical doctors is rigorous and it culminates in the inclusion of a medical graduate’s name on the register of Medical Practitioners in Nigeria, whether foreign-trained or locally-trained.
Our Association has been on a crusade to address medical quackery in partnership with the State Government through the Ministry of Health and Human Services and this we have shown great commitment to over the years.
We are currently rattled with the arrest of ‘Dr’ Olalekan Timothy Fasipe, an employee of the Hospitals’ Management Board who also served as a member of our State Officers’ Committee until his arrest, on the allegation of Forgery of his full registration certificate with the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria.
We received correspondence from the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria which affirmed that the name ‘Fasipe Olalekan Timothy’ is not on the Register of Medical Practitioners in Nigeria and we are aware that arising from this, he has been arrested and currently being prosecuted as advised by the MDCN.
We must say without mincing words that our Association frowns and distances itself from criminality in any form and it is in this regard that we have been very cooperative as always with the relevant agencies of government to ensure that justice is done.
We have remained in close communication with the Hospitals’ Management Board and the State Ministry of Health and Human Services and we are doing everything possible to ensure that the case is thoroughly prosecuted.
For the avoidance of doubt, anyone whose name is not on the register of Medical Practitioners in Nigeria who parades himself as a medical doctor is an impostor and a criminal.
Upon the recent discovery, we have communicated Mr. Olalekan Timothy Fasipe to desist from parading himself as a doctor or as a member of our Association having been found to lack the minimal qualifications that confer such rights and we are by this release dissociating our Association from him and his activities.
We are also using this opportunity to sound a note of warning to everyone whose name is not on the register of medical practitioners in Nigeria who may be parading himself or herself as a medical doctor in Ekiti State that the arms of the law will certainly catch up with you.
We trust the capacity of the Nigerian Police Force and the Ekiti State Ministry of Justice to leave no stone unturned in getting to the root of this matter and expand their net to capture as many other impostors as may be within the State.
The case in point being under investigation, we will make no further comment in order not to jeopardize the ongoing investigation.
We are also using this medium to assure the entire citizens of our dear State to remain calm as the relevant agencies of Government continue to work on this case.
We have devised means in conjunction with relevant agencies of government to ensure that all health practitioners in the State possess valid and up-to-date annual practicing licenses.
We urge our hardworking colleagues across the State not to allow this to affect their psyche as we continue the daunting task of providing uninterrupted clinical care to the teeming population of our dear State, especially in the face of the increasing workload occasioned by the unabating japa trend. We advise us all to remain calm and vigilant as we join hands in stamping out medical quackery.
Long Live Nigerian Medical Association, Ekiti State Branch!
Long Live Ekiti State!!
Long Live the Federal Republic of Nigeria!!!
Dr. Babatunde O. Rosiji
Chairman
Dr. Moses B. Dada
Secretary
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