Cross River State Governor, Bassey Otu, has appealed to protesting members of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) to return to their professional calling of saving lives as his administration will leave no stone unturned in a bid to secure the return of their abducted colleague.
According to Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Emmanuel Ogbeche, Otu made the plea while addressing members of the association, who were on a peaceful protest for the immediate and unconditional release of their member, Prof Ekanem Philip Ephraim, who was kidnapped in Calabar.
“I want to plead that while we still continue to work for the release of your colleague, please let doctors do the best that they can to save lives, because your main call is to save lives.
“I want you to believe us that just like you, we are also very pained and we are pained that two wrongs will never make a right.
“A lot of things are happening in our hospitals and my administration is poised to ensure the enabling environment is created for you to carry out your statutory duties at all times.
“Nobody is happy that she was taken even for a day apart from the criminal elements. But we will continue to do everything possible to ensure her safe return to the confines of her family and the association,” the governor assured.
The governor also gave the assurance that his administration was working closely with the various security agencies to drastically curb, if not totally, eradicate kidnapping in the state.
The governor further applauded the contributions and sacrifices of doctors in the state, remarking that his administration will not be defeated by the challenges of those involved in nefarious activities.