A renowned Medical Practitioner and Industrialist, Chief Dr. Emi Membere-Otaji, will be honoured by his colleagues in the Medical profession during the Annual General Meeting, AGM, of Private Doctors Association in November this year.
Membere-Otaji, who has been in the news in the last couple of weeks, recently made headlines, when he was elected as the 2nd Deputy National President of National Chamber of Commerce and Industry, NACCIMA, inline to take over as President in the next four years.
The Kalabari born industrialist, is the Chief Executive Officer of Princess Medical, and was a Commissioner for Health in Rivers State during the administration of Dr Peter Odili.
Africa Update reports that the information about the Award was disclosed on Saturday July 1, during a sit out of the Medical Elders Forum, which is a forum of the Nigerian Medical Association, NMA, Rivers State Branch with some younger medical Doctors also in attendance.
Speaking to Africa Update at the sidelines of the sit out, the Second Vice Chairman, NMA Rivers State Branch, Dr. Edmund Anofuru, said the celebrity award that will be bestowed on Membere-Otaji, is the highest award after the Patron and will be given by the Doctors in the private sector.
On his part, the NMA Chairman, Dr. Ebi Robinson, in his opening remarks, said on assumption of office, he met the Elders Forum, and he had to look for meaningful ways to engage the Forum.
He opined that the sit out was one of the programmes his team put together to kick-start series of other activities lined up. Noting that on October 1, the next meeting of the Elders will be in the form of an exercise at the gymnasium for aerobics, for them to keep fit.
Robinson stressed that the aim of bringing the elders together is to draw from their wealth of experience, because according to him, the association will not exist without the support of the elders.
His words: ” And I will sincerely tell all of us that without you (the elders), this association can not stand. I have always seeked the counsel of the elders and the advise of the elders, the guidance of the elders to be able to pilot this very complex, and noble association.
“You know that we are very intelligent people, so it is not very easy to deal with very intelligent people. And God willing, we will move from strength to strength . God willing, we will move from grace to grace.
” I want to also sincerely thank our host today, Alabo Emi Membere-Otaji, for hosting us. I have been able to invite heads of affiliate to be here, especially the younger ones. Because they have been very far away from the elders. And that’s why you’re seeing the President of Association of Resident Doctors, ARD.”
” So that the young ones can also recognise you and do not just pass you by when they meet you on the road. Let the younger ones say, this is one of our medical elder and that is one of our medical elder.
“And that is why the President of ARD is here and the Secretary of ARD is here. Some are seeing their elders for the first time and I am also seeing some elders for the first time despite practising for over 22years.”
Reacting to the Goodwill messages from his colleagues, Membere-Otaji expressed delight at their gestures and assured them of his availability and support to the association at all times.
“Yes Commerce, Industry, shipping whatever it is, my primary Constituency is the health care industry. Especially my immediate colleagues, that’s the Doctors.
“So please, NMA Chairman and our elders’ Chairperson. I am just one phone call away. As we coordinated this, I came from Geneva only three days ago, but we were able to put this together,” he further stated.
The doctors were treated to highlife music from a life band and comedy.
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