Medical and Dental Consultants Association of Nigeria Press Release on the Gruesome Murder of Professor Jerome Elusiyan

 

It is with great shock and outrage that we the leadership and the entire members of Medical and Dental Consultants' Association of Nigeria (MOCAN) received the news of the gruesome murder of a well distinguished Paediatrician and Chairman medical Advisory Committee of Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospital Complex (0AUTHO lle- Ife Osun State Nigeria, Professor Jerome Boluwaji Elutayo Elusiyan by armed bandits on Friday. 13th December. 2019 at about 6.00pm along Ekpoma Benin highway. 

 

He was on his way back to ile ife from Ekpoma where he had gone to serve as an external examiner in the medical students' examinations of Ambrose All University Edo State. 

 

Prof. Jerome Eluslyan was a member of MDCAN OAUTHC Ile Ife Chapter. He was an erudite scholar, an astute physician and a thoroughbred professional in the peak of his prime. He was a devout family man and a great asset to his community, the medical family and the entire country. He was cut down in the process of discharging his legitimate duty to the course of medical eaucation. His brutal murder is a colossal loss to not only his family and medical community but to the entire country at large. 

 

This incident highlights once again, the great dangers confronting many of our members and Indeed Nigerians every day in the course of going about their legitimate business. The state of insecurity in this country has reached an abysmally low level in recent times. People are being either kidnapped or killed in transit, in their paces of work and even in the comfort of their bones. Our colleagues who were abducted in Taraba State several months ago are yet to regain their freedom and one of their spouses has recently passed away. Similar narratives dot the landscape of the country. The simple process of moving from one part of the country has become literally a life and death undertaking for most Nigenans. it is pertinent to point out that we cannot discharge our duties fully without necessarily moving to and from places where these duties are needed. 

 

No country can afford the current haemorrhage of the brightest and best of its brains through wanton destruction as is happening in Nigeria today. we consider the current deplorable security situation in the country as a major threat to national development, economic prosperity and its overall survival and consider it as a national emergency. No doubt this insecurity is a major contributor to tne massive brain drain of medical and otner professionals in the country, quite apart from the harsh economic realities which cannot be divorced from the insecurity. it also has a great demoralizing effect on those who, like our murdered colleague, Prof Jerome Eluslyan. chose to stay back and contribute to building the country. That the wastage of human potentials is capable of worsening to nation's health indices goes without saying. 

 

This is unacceptable and has to be halted. There is an urgent need to restore the confidence of the ordinary populace in the country. This Is the core mandate of the government and its various security agencies. We therefore call on to federal, state and local governments as well as all security agencies of government to take immediate steps to rise up to meet this primary constitutional responsibility of protecting the lives and properties of all Nigerians in their territories 

 

We urge the President, Federal Republic of Nigeria, His Excellency, President Muhammadu Buhari, all the state governors and local government chairmen, all the security agencies of the government to scale up their efforts to abate the incessant killings of Nigerians and the current, wanton destruction of lives and properties. 

 

It is not acceptable that for over two weeks after our amiable and well distinguished Professor Jerome Elusiyan was murdered in cold blood by armed bandits, the security agencies are yet to arrest and bring the perpetrators to justice. 

 

The MDCAN demands that the security agencies unearth the perpetrators of the barbaric and brutal killing of our dear colleague, Professor Jerome Elusiyan, forestall future occurrences and do everything possible to reduce the crime rate and other vices to the barest minimum in the country.

 

Prof. Kenneth Ozoilo President 

Dr. Moses P. Chingle Secretary General