1. SPEECH BY DR JIMMY IDAMA IMMEDIATE PAST NMA SECRETARY ON THE
OCCASION OF THE JUST CONCLUDED NMA KOGI WEEK/AGM 2016.
My venerable colleagues and hippocratic brethren, it is no longer news that the
NMA AGM in Kogi state has come and gone carrying with it its attendant frenzy
before, during and after the period it lived.
While I must commend the organizing committee for an avant garde electoral
process devoid of electoral abnormalities, my deference pours out most sincerely
and unebbingly to the incredible turn out of our senior colleagues who, despite
the understandably tight schedules, defied all odds to troop out in their numbers
like never witnessed before to add relevance to our new blossoming electoral
process.
This, to me, only has one connotation and that is we have succeeded as a body to
up the level of awareness in the activities of the association to an all-time high.
I lost the elections not because I didn’t work hard in the buildup nor because I
didn’t have a trail of antecedents to convince electorates of my capabilities, nor
because I would not have work tirelessly if elected, but because it is the will of
God.
It is extremely pertinent to include here that the spirit of unity demonstrated
amongstour senior colleagues is nothing short of envious as it was conspicuously
brought to bear on the election day, I would want to challenge and implore them
to apply the same front to diplomatically engage the relevant authorities to untie
the Gordian knot militating against the progress of the NMA where necessary.
I received the result of the election with doused perturbability. This may be aptly
described by the golden words coined by Abraham Lincoln when he lost the 1858
senate election to senator Steven Douglas, he said and I quote, "it felt like the boy
that stubbed his toe- 'it hurt too bad to laugh, and he was too big to cry' ".
Be that as it may, I feel obliged to state empathically and unequivocally clear,
maybe for the umpteenth time, that my overall intentions for the NMA generally
is beyond self-aggrandizement and preening of primordial interest. I have

2. (un)fortunately being genetically mutated to altruistically fight for the welfare of
doctors in my little capacity, especially junior doctors to a point of a reasonably
logical conclusion intrepidly without fear or favor.
Because junior doctors after graduating from medical college are “literally”
plunged like hashed frys into the territory of sharks, it becomes imperative to
guide them along the lines of respect for one another, elders and constituted
authority, their rights and privileges, and counseling towards career path and the
wider world in general.
They mustbe taught to sagaciously identify where the fringes of academic activity
and relationship ends and where the obstinate resolve of individualism,
sentimentalism, tribalism,creed, race and colour are relegated to the background,
where ideologies, nationalism and sacrifice are upheld, where right make might,
where policies affecting the generality of doctors are jealously and obdurately
held sacrosanct not minding whose ox is gored, where the ability to deliver on the
gains of democracy is not based on individual particularities and perculiarities but
that point where every doctor becomes one, no senior, no junior, that point, that
fringe end where opinions are respected, that point called POLITICS.
The problems are humongous yet surmountable. They are intimidatingly
prodigious but our insatiable and sustained collective effort would smoothen
every friction. My stance about all these hasn’t changed. I am still doggedly,
uncompromisingly, unmalleably rigid and therefore unperturbed.
Because NMA is my mother umbrella body, I shall jealously uphold her tenets to
ensure she remains in pristine condition at all times.
May I use this auspicious moment to appreciate those who share my sentiments
for the NMA endearing and engendering their support for me, I must be quick to
iterate again that I am only a mirror of your opinions, a product of your thoughts
and an arrow of your archery.
The target may have, however, being missed, but it was rattled. Life presents
opportunities for more trials. I must congratulate you because through your

3. steady inputs, we have being able to birth more Jimmys both here at home and
abroad. Let’s not be daunted.
To all those who didn’t vote for me, I thank you equally believing that your
decisions are for the furtherance of NMA, how would I have known my
weaknesses?
God bless you all abundantly. Itis resonatingly clear that VOX POPULI VOX DEI. If I
had smudged your personality and ego in the courseof the campaign, please have
it in the ken that it was unintentional and unwittingly because viewed a little
closer, microscopically, I meant well for the bigger picture of NMA, albeit, maybe
rather crudely. Do forgive me. Now shall we forge a better path in love and
fraternity for the NMA?
For the new entrants led by my well respected friend and Hippocratic brother Dr.
Ogaraku, I mustsay thatyou havebeen quickly mounted in a rage and your ship is
on a tempest, but judging from your support base and your zeal for change as
enshrined in your acceptance speech, you came in all prepared in your shining
armor. Your lead henceforth is our trudging path, may the good Lord guide you
through.
For the other EXCOs, your earnest undiluted support is all that would be required
to steer this ship to a favorable destination. God would grant you the wisdom to
succeed. I shall try not to be economical with my support when beckoned upon.
To the erstwhile EXCO, it was worth the while working with you, I learnt more
than I had anticipated to. May your future endeavors bear desirable fruits.
To my HMB and all other colleagues with one scathing issue or the other, I say an
injury to one is an injury to all, I am with you. Have faith in the new EXCO to
deliver as I do.
Conclusively, I must say I have been immensely blessed by the activities of the
past week, from the nadir to the apotheosis.
God bless Dr. Ogaraku and NMA KOGI, God bless AYB AND Kogi State.

4. God bless PMB and Nigeria.
Dr. Jimmy Idama
IMMEDIATE PAST NMA SECRETARY KOGI STATE.