It is a truism that health is wealth and when we are not well we seek the
\nknowledge, training and expertise of a healthcare provider. We put our
\nlife in the person’s hands in the belief that he\/she will provide a
\nsolution to our ailment, heal us and put an end to our pain. It is a
\nsacred trust between doctor and patient because we really are at the
\n“mercy” of the expert. How would you feel if you discovered
\nthat the person you are trusting with your life and your health may not
\nbe who he claims he is?<\/p>\n
It was with utter chagrin that I read the report published in a number of
\nnational dailies last week with bold headlines such as: “Fake
\ndoctor uses friend’s licence for nine years.” “The
\nAhmadu Bello University disowns fake medical doctor.” “Fake
\nDoctor! Ugwu Stole And Practised With Friend’s License For 9
\nYears.”\u00a0 “Shocking Report: Nigerian Fake Doctor practise for
\n10 years with friend’s license.”<\/p>\n
We all know that the unemployment rate globally is high and Nigeria is no
\nexception, but can anyone be so brazen? So adroit in the art of deception
\nas to steal a friend’s medical license and impersonate him for so
\nmany years? How many people have been wrongly diagnosed, how many lives
\nhave been lost?\u00a0 How does such a person face his conscience each day?<\/p>\n
We are not a nation of lawlessness; neither must we permit impunity or
\ncriminality to corrode the very fabric of our nation.\u00a0 The unfolding
\ndrama of this individual reads like a Nollywood movie script.<\/p>\n
According to media reports, a Nigerian, one Martin Ugwu who is working
\nwith the Federal Ministry of Health, Abuja, as a Senior Medical Officer
\non Grade Level 13, was found to have impersonated his friend, Dr. George
\nDavidson Daniel, who is undergoing a residency training programme in Jos,
\nPlateau State. Martin Ugwu allegedly stole the medical license and other
\ncertificates from his friend for whom he was best man during a wedding in
\n2006.<\/p>\n
The statutory regulatory body for the practice of medicine and dentistry,
\nthe Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria, had raised an alarm in a
\nletter to the Chairman, Federal Civil Service Commission, Abuja, signed
\nby its Registrar, Dr. A. Ibrahim, who described Ugwu as an imposter,
\nadding that the case had been reported to the police for further
\ninvestigation and action.<\/p>\n
Similarly, the Ahmadu Bello University (ABU) in a letter dated June 5,
\n2015 addressed to the Federal Civil Service Commission (FCSC) confirmed
\nthat the real George Davidson Daniel graduated with a Bachelor of
\nMedicine, Bachelor of Surgery in May, 2002. The institution’s
\nletter which was signed by the Dean, Faculty of Medicine, Prof. A. G.
\nBakari, was in response to a request for confirmation of Ugwu’s
\nclaim that he was a graduate of medicine from the Ahmadu Bello
\nUniversity.<\/p>\n
Following investigations by the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria
\nwhich found that Ugwu was an imposter posing as a medical doctor, the
\nFederal Civil Service Commission (FCSC) Chairman, Deaconess Joan Ayo, had
\nwritten to the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Health, asking
\nhim to hand over the suspect to the police for further investigation and
\nprosecution.<\/p>\n
The suspect was said to have caused a stir at the health ministry
\nrecently when he led some policemen to arrest senior officials whom he
\naccused of masterminding his ordeal. A source said his plot to embarrass
\nthe officials failed as ministry workers prevented them from being taken
\naway when the policemen could not produce an arrest warrant.<\/p>\n
The Federal Capital Territory Police Public Relations Officer, Anjuri
\nManzah, is quoted as saying that the police are investigating Ugwu for
\nimpersonation, further stating that the case was being handled by the
\nCriminal Investigation Department.<\/p>\n
Is Charles Uguwu an imposter? We know that he has already been indicted
\nby the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria as an impostor. Can we
\nbelieve anything he says as a desperate man will do anything, including
\nlie, until he is blue in the face. My advice to the law enforcement
\nagencies is to speedily investigate the case of Mr. Ugwu, (if that is
\nindeed his real name) with the seriousness and promptness it deserves. He
\nmust have his day in court sooner than later.<\/p>\n
If he is found guilty, especially if he has harmed or killed anyone while
\npracticing medicine illegally, he must be made to face the full wrath of
\nthe law. This will serve as deterrent to others who would want to
\npractice the sacred profession of saving lives illegally.<\/p>\n
Rosa Kurebe is the founder of Alert Medicine Alert (AMA), an NGO that
\nsupports victims of medical malpractice in Nigeria<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
It is a truism that health is wealth and when we are not well we seek the knowledge, training and expertise of a healthcare provider. We put our life in…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":29734,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-39653","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-articles-opinions"],"yoast_head":"\n