By Chinyere Okoroafor,The Nation

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The Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), Lagos State Branch, has called for the introduction of a single-term tenure for Chief Medical Directors (CMDs) and Medical Directors (MDs) of federal tertiary hospitals.

It said the current system encourages abuse of power, impunity, and tyranny in office.

Speaking at a news conference in Lagos as part of activities for its 2025 Annual General Meeting/Conference, NMA Lagos Chairman, Dr. Babajide Saheed, said many CMDs and MDs lose focus on their responsibilities in their second term and instead become authoritarian, to the detriment of healthcare delivery.

“We strongly call for the adoption of a single four-year tenure for CMDs/MDs of tertiary health institutions, in line with university practice.

Some leaders in their second term become tyrannical and lose sight of their deliverables.

A single tenure will ensure accountability, provide opportunities for other competent candidates, and align with global best practices where leadership rotation drives innovation,” Dr. Saheed said.

The press briefing formed part of the week-long AGM/AGC 2025, which opened with a thanksgiving service at the Chapel of the Healing Cross, Ikeja, on Sunday.

Other activities include a scientific conference, medical school quiz competition, medical outreach, football match, Jumat service, rehabilitated Lagos SCID Panti Clinic opening, and a dinner night.

The conference, chaired by veteran oncologist and former National Hospital CMD, Prof. Francis Abayomi Durosimi-Etti, is themed, “A Critical Appraisal of Nigeria’s Budgetary Allocations to Health: Negotiating for Better Medical Salary Scale and Relativity for Medical Doctors.”

Read Also: Lagos NMA hails CMD’s resilience after fire

Prof. Edamisan Teiniye, a professor of paediatrics and past chairman of NMA Lagos, will deliver the keynote address.

He is known for his advocacy on welfare and health system strengthening.

Dr. Saheed said the theme reflects the urgent need to confront the reality that Nigeria’s health budget remains at 5.18% of government expenditure, far below the 15% Abuja Declaration target.

NMA Lagos also condemned what it described as the “sacrilegious” continued stay in office of Dr. Olugbenga Owoeye as Acting Medical Director of the Federal Neuropsychiatric Hospital, Yaba, despite the expiration of his tenure months ago.

“It is sacrilegious for Dr. Owoeye to continue to lead the institution as Acting MD after completing his tenure while still in the race for a second term. This means he will hand over to himself if reappointed. This is against extant rules and regulations,” Dr. Saheed said, calling on the Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Ali Pate, to end the “reign of impunity” in the institution.

The association also rejected what it termed illegal salary cuts imposed on doctors employed by the Lagos State Government since July by the State Treasury Office (STO).

It demanded the immediate restoration of doctors’ salaries to their pre-April 2025 levels, warning Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu that the deductions were worsening the brain drain crisis in the state.

“We reject any reduction in the salaries of Lagos State doctors. We call on the governor to restore salaries to the pre-April 2025 level as the minimum to be paid from September. Our members already work under enormous pressure due to high workload and Lagos-specific challenges. Anything less is unacceptable,” he said.

Lagos NMA raised the alarm over the scrapping of call duty meals and unpaid arrears for doctors at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), warning that the welfare neglect was dangerous for patient care.

“Doctors on call work long hours with no meals provided. Coupled with unpaid skipping arrears, this neglect directly affects their well-being and compromises patient safety,” Dr. Saheed said.

Beyond Lagos, NMA Lagos also used the platform to highlight Nigeria’s chronic underfunding of health and its link to the worsening “Japa syndrome.”

Nigeria’s 2025 budgetary allocation to health is ₦2.48 trillion, just 5.18% of government expenditure, far below the 15% Abuja Declaration benchmark. Some states allocate less than 2% of their budgets to health.

Dr. Saheed warned that inadequate investment, coupled with poor welfare, was pushing doctors out of the country in droves.

“Government is turning Nigeria into an exporter of human resources after oil. When doctors trained here with taxpayers’ money leave in frustration, Nigeria loses twice. We cannot continue this way. Government must take ‘Japan’ seriously as a national emergency,” he said.

The Lagos NMA also reminded the Federal Government of its unimplemented demands, warning of looming industrial action if concrete steps are not taken.

It reiterated that salary relativity between doctors and other healthcare professionals must be preserved, describing it as “sacrosanct” to industrial harmony in the sector.

Dr. Saheed rounded off with a firm call on government at all levels to act decisively:

“Healthcare must be treated as a priority, not an afterthought. Doctors’ salaries should be restored, relativity preserved, and impunity rooted out. While we remain open to constructive engagement, we will not hesitate to take decisive action to defend the dignity of our profession and safeguard Nigerians’ right to quality healthcare.”