The Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) has appealed to President Muhammadu Buhari, to exempt the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN), the regulatory body for the medical and dental profession, from the blanket dissolution of boards and councils, as have been done for the governing councils of universities and the council for legal education. A statement by the NMA made available to LEADERSHIP in Abuja over the weekend, signed by the president, Dr Kayode Obembe and the secretary general, Dr Adewunmi Alayaki, respectively, lamented that so far, it has not been well with medical education and practice in the country. They stated that certain structures are needed to drive needed changes and the governing council of the MDCN is top on the list.

They said, “It is an established fact that President Buhari is that clean broom that would rid the Nigerian nation of all manner of impunity, corruption and other unwholesome practices. It is in sharing this vision that we make this appeal so that order would prevail and strict compliance to the Codes of Ethics achieved. We are therefore, praying Mr. President to make a proclamation exempting the MDCN from the blanket dissolution of Boards and Councils.” The statement argued that whenever there is no council, all cases before the council’s investigating panels and tribunal are suspended and new cases cannot be attended to. According to them, this has resulted in the public expressing dissatisfaction with the “council”, accusing it of protecting erring members of the profession when in actual fact there was no council in place to handle such cases.