The Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), Cross River State Branch, has conferred its highest honour, the Platinum Meritorious Service Award, on Governor Bassey Otu in recognition of the landmark strides recorded by his administration in healthcare funding, human-resource development, infrastructure, institutional reforms and security.
The award, which had never previously been conferred on anyone by the state branch, was unanimously approved by members at the association’s Annual General Meeting.
Presenting the award, a former Chairman of the NMA, Cross River State Branch, Dr. Ezoke Epoke, said the honour was a recognition of demonstrable achievements that had positively impacted doctors, healthcare workers and the entire health sector.
He noted that health-sector budgetary allocation under Governor Otu had risen consistently above 10 per cent, compared with the five to six per cent range previously recorded.
“This clearly shows that there has been a remarkable increase in the budgetary allocation to the health sector,” he said, adding that the improved funding had provided the foundation for several critical interventions across the sector.
The NMA also commended Governor Otu for his interventions in human-resource development, particularly the approval of a 100 per cent revision of doctors’ remuneration, which has brought state-employed doctors’ earnings in line with their counterparts in federal institutions and other states.
The association further praised the lifting of the embargo on health-sector recruitment and the governor’s approval for the employment of 40 doctors, including 10 specialist consultants.
“In the history of the state, we have not had a fully approved employment exercise for specialist consultants on this scale,” the NMA representative said, while also applauding the extension of the retirement age of healthcare workers from 60 to 65 years as a measure that would help retain experienced personnel.
The association cited the ongoing upgrade of primary healthcare centres and phased rehabilitation of general and cottage hospitals as further evidence of the administration’s commitment to healthcare infrastructure.
It also singled out three landmark pieces of legislation signed by Governor Otu—the state Hospital Management Board Law, Medical Quackery Prohibition Law and Drug Management Agency Law—as reforms capable of transforming the sector beyond the tenure of the present administration.
“These three laws did not exist in Cross River State before now,” Epoke said. “His Excellency signed all three of them into law, and they will outlive his tenure and strengthen the healthcare sector for the foreseeable future.”
On security, the NMA commended the administration for creating a safer environment for medical practitioners, noting that kidnapping had previously posed a serious threat to doctors and their dependants.
The association recalled that the last recorded kidnapping of a doctor in the state occurred on July 13, 2023, barely six weeks into Governor Otu’s administration, adding that no doctor had been kidnapped in the state since then.
“Doctors can now practise in Cross River State without the fear of kidnapping,” the NMA said. “It was a major problem for us in the health sector, and we are very happy that that problem has been solved.”
The Chairman of the NMA, Cross River State Branch, Dr Pius Unimke Agweye, Chief Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon, reinforced the commendation while urging the state government to expedite the recruitment of the approved 40 doctors and give wider publicity to the vacancies to attract more qualified applicants.
“We have 40 positions, and we want these positions to be fully occupied so that the doctors can be spread across the state and further bolster healthcare delivery,” he said. Dr Kague also called for greater encouragement of Cross River indigenes pursuing medical training and urged the government to consider establishing a tertiary institution for specialist medical education in the state.
Receiving the award, Governor Otu expressed gratitude to the NMA, describing the honour as both a recognition of his administration’s efforts and a call to greater service.
“I receive this award with humility and a profound sense of responsibility,” he said. “For me, this is not simply an award to the governor; it is an award to every doctor, nurse, healthcare worker and stakeholder who continues to give his or her best in the service of our people.”
The governor assured the association that his administration would continue to prioritise healthcare under its People First philosophy, saying: “We will not rest on what we have achieved. The task before us is to build a health system that our people can trust, a system that attracts and retains the best hands, and where every Cross Riverian can access quality care.”
Governor Otu further pledged sustained partnership with the NMA and other professional bodies in strengthening healthcare delivery, stressing that the administration would continue to pursue reforms capable of producing lasting institutional benefits.
“This award challenges us to do even more,” he said. “We accept it with gratitude, but more importantly, we accept it as a call to greater service.”
The NMA, which said the award was originally approved and presented on August 1 but formally handed over upon the governor’s return, maintained that its assessment was based on measurable performance rather than politics or sentiment.
“There is no politics here,” the association declared. “On the metrics we use to analyse performance, His Excellency has done very, very well for the health sector, and there is more to come.”