Despite a subsisting court order restraining a faction from parading themselves as executives of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) in Enugu State, the group on Tuesday went ahead to host the 2025 Physicians’ Week celebration at the International Conference Centre (ICC), Enugu.
The event, themed “Healthcare as a Value Chain: Building Efficiency from Policy to Patient,” drew doctors, health professionals, and guests from across the country.
The programme was held barely 24 hours after the Enugu State High Court, presided over by Hon. Justice C. A. Ogbuabor (PhD), issued an ex-parte order restraining some members of the association from functioning as the state executives of the NMA pending the hearing of a substantive suit.
The order, granted on Monday, October 20, 2025, followed a motion ex-parte filed by four senior medical practitioners — Dr. Sunday Okafor, Dr. Chima Edeoga, Emeritus Prof. Samuel Ohaegbunam, and Dr. Grace Bernard-Asdu — on behalf of members of the NMA Enugu State branch, excluding those with “adverse interests” in the matter.
The defendants in the suit (Suit No. E/1327/2025) include Prof. Bala Audu, Dr. Ben Egbo, Dr. Benjamin Olowojebututu, Dr. Ushakuma Anenga, Dr. Wale Lasisi, Dr. Harrison Omokhua, Dr. Bature Mannir, and the Incorporated Trustees of the NMA, among others allegedly parading themselves as executives of the association in Enugu.
Justice Ogbuabor held that the plaintiffs had established a “compelling need” for the restraining order, effectively putting on hold the activities of the faction pending further hearing. The case is expected to return to court in the coming days.
However, the restrained faction, led by Dr. Chibuzo Ndiokwelu, went ahead with the 2025 Physicians’ Week on Tuesday, with full representation from the national leadership of the association.
In a welcome address delivered on behalf of the NMA President, Dr. Bala Audu, by Dr. Benjamin Olowojebututu, the association urged both government and health professionals to strengthen every link in the healthcare value chain — from policy formulation to patient care.
Dr. Audu, in his address, said the theme of the celebration underscores “the urgent need for a coordinated, accountable, and effective health system where every component — from policy to patient — delivers measurable value to Nigerians.”
He lamented the persistent underfunding and fragmentation of the nation’s health sector, noting that Nigeria’s health expenditure remains around 4.08% of GDP, far below global averages.
“The consequence is a health system that is overstretched, underfunded, and underperforming. We must shift focus from inputs to outcomes — from counting facilities built to measuring lives saved,” he said.
Also speaking, the Chairman of the West African College of Physicians (Nigeria Chapter), Prof. BSC Uzochukwu, emphasized that governments must see healthcare as a vital investment, not a burden.
“To my fellow physicians, let us continue to uphold ethics, deepen research, and remember that our greatest strength lies in our humanity,” he added.
In his remarks, the Enugu State NMA chairman, Dr. Ndiokwelu, thanked the national leadership for their presence and pledged to “continue to lead NMA Enugu State aright,” even as the court order loomed large over the event.
