NMA Welcomes Conviction Of Fake Doctor Who Practiced For 10 Years

The Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) has applauded the conviction of a fake doctor who posed as a medical professional and worked for 10 years at the Federal Ministry of Health.

Recall that Justice Abubakar Idris Kutigi of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), sitting in Jabi, Abuja, on Tuesday, sentenced 54-year-old Martins Ugwu, who claimed ownership of his best friend’s medical school certificates to practice medicine.

Ugwu was sentenced to four years and two months jail term.

First Vice-President of the Association, Dr Benjamin Olowojebutu, who disclosed this in an interview with NAN on Thursday in Lagos, said the conviction will no doubt strengthen the association’s work against medical quackery.

He added that the conviction will serve as a strong warning to those practising without a licence or impersonating a medical professional.

“The hand of the law would catch up with them soon. To see a man who has practised medicine as a doctor for many years, and the hand of the law eventually catches up with him.

“We know that this will send a strong message to other culprits in those communities and would strengthen the work we are doing at NMA.

“We appreciate the judiciary for this particular one. And we hope that when other cases come to them, they can expedite this kind of action quickly,” he said.

He added that the judgment is a testament that NMA’s cohesion with the government is yielding fruits in reducing medical quackery and sanitising the medical profession.

Olowojebutu expressed concern that the problem of fake doctors has escalated to alarming levels in Nigeria, with the issue now spreading from rural areas to urban centers.

He lamented that medical quackery has a disastrous impact on individuals, families, and communities, leading to severe consequences such as deformities, incapacitation, life-threatening conditions, and even death.

Olowojebutu, however, noted that the NMA was committed to providing top-notch healthcare services to Nigerians, adding that it is working to ensure that only legitimate medical professionals are in the system.

To eradicate medical quackery, Olowojebutu called for a robust collaboration, urging the public to report any suspected cases of unqualified individuals practicing medicine in their communities.

NMA Welcomes Conviction Of Fake Doctor Who Practiced For 10 Years is first published on The Whistler Newspaper