To Reform Nigeria, Doctors Should Join Politics - Dr. Enabulele - NMA Chairman & Governorship Candidate, NCP, Edo State

Osahon Enabulele

Dr. Osahon Enabulele, born in January 29, 1971, is a consultant family physician at the University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH). He is a Medical and Human Rights Activist; Chairman, Nigerian Medical Association, Edo State branch and the National Conscience Party (NCP) candidate in the April 14, 2007 governorship election in Edo State.
He speaks, in this interview, about his family, interest in politics and activism as a medical practitioner, issues on Edo politics, way to stardom and other interesting issues with SEYI GESINDE. Excerpts:

Immediately after your residency training at the UBTH in 2006, you vied for the governorship seat of Edo State under the umbrella of Chief Gani Fawehinmi’s National Conscience Party (NCP). Why did you, as a medical doctor, dabble into politics?
I really don’t see it as dabbling into politics. When I was offered the opportunity, I saw it as a privilege and an opportunity given to me to contribute my quota towards rescuing Edo State from many years of misrule, fiscal rascality and recklessness, and from a pervasively dysfunctional experiment in social, political, and economic engineering; and to offer hope, positive transformation, and transparent leadership to the long impoverished people of Edo State.

As a professional, many people may want to ask: What is he doing with politics and activism and why can’t he just face his family medicine, make a change and be impactful? What do you have to tell them?
It is essentially what I told an audience on Friday, December 19, 2008 when, as guest lecturer, I presented a paper on “Medicine and Politics as Veritable Tools for Sustainable Development.” Medicine and politics are like siamese twins. Both vocations simply employ, apparently, different approaches to achieve the same ultimate goal of preservation of lives and the dignity of the human existence. Remember the famous words of that young German scientist, Rudolf Virchow, who, at the age of 26, stated that: “Medicine is a social science and politics nothing but medicine on a grand scale; that if medicine were to be successful, then it must enter political and social life because diseases were caused by defects in society.” For me, both medicine and politics are so similar that any medical doctor, who faithfully practices medicine according to the Hippocratic oath, will certainly do better in organised politics than most of the present day Nigerian politicians and political prostitutes who never kept faith with their public office oaths.

How then can there be noticeable change?
If we are to inspire confidence in politics and governance in Nigeria, drive popular participation in governance, drive a just and equitable society, as well as inspire moral and technical leadership in nation building, then we must encourage the practitioners of medicine to look beyond their consulting clinics and throw their hats into the political ring, rather than watch mediocres, unprincipled politicians, and political jobbers, take the centre stage of politics and governance in Nigeria.

During your residency programme, you won a presidential award of the National Association of Resident Doctors of Nigeria (NARD); what exactly made you stand out among colleagues during this period?
For me, I see any award as a humbling experience and an opportunity to rededicate myself to those core values, virtues, and cherished principles which necessitated the award in the first place. I was told that the award was an acknowledgement of my great roles as a medical activist (right from my university days) and a human rights activist; a recognition of the fact that I am a prominent and leading progressive voice within and outside the Nigerian Medical Association; the fact that I am, till date, the first resident doctor in Nigeria and, indeed, the youngest doctor in Nigeria ever to have occupied the enviable position of National Vice President of the Nigerian Medical Association; my pivotal role and leadership of the struggle to secure a separate and more robust salary scale for Nigerian doctors; my several contributions to policy and constitutional debates and development; and a whole lot of other indelible and unassailable records of performance.

What are your challenges, thus far in all your endeavours, most importantly in the field of medicine and politics?
They include the obvious challenge of having to practise a profession in Nigeria that is rarely appreciated, in spite of the enormous efforts made to keep members of the society healthy and productive. I mean a situation where we have to contend with practising with highly antiquated facilities, poor and undignifying remuneration, and a working environment that continuously endangers your life. The situation is really very challenging, especially for those of us who chose to remain in Nigeria rather than joining the daily mass exodus of highly skilled professionals to better and more appreciative countries, where you’re paid eight to 10 times your salary in Nigeria. In Nigeria, a highly trained medical consultant earns a pittance of N230,000 as gross monthly pay. We know how much the judges earns; we know how much political office holders, including councillors and personal assistants earn!

Talk about your wife and chilren?
I am married to Dr. (Mrs.) Joan Enabulele (nee Orhiere), a dental surgeon and senior registrar, from Uromi in Esan North-East Local Government Area of Edo State. We are currently blessed with two kids: Four-year old Efosa Benedict Enabulele and two-year old Omorovwiye Victoria Enabulele.

When was your happiest day?
My happiest day was when we successfully had the delivery of our first child, Master Efosa Benedict Enabulele.

What of your most embarrassing moment?
My most embarrassing moment was when the current “Comrade” Adams Aliyu Oshiomhole–led government, whose electoral mandate we relentlessly fought for as activists, churned out anti-people and outrageous tax policies, levies and charges, and turned round to engage in petty and cheap blackmail of those of us, activists, who spoke against the policy. Like the politicians of the old order, the governor chose to regard opposition to his policy as opposition sponsored by political enemies and political opponents. This, to me, was most unfortunate, disappointing and embarrassing, especially coming from a governor who opposed past governments for similar anti-people policies.

How will you assess and rate the performance of the Action Congress (AC)-led government of Edo State?
Barely seven months in office, the government is fast losing the goodwill and support of the people due to certain misplaced actions and unacceptable policies. What has amazed a lot of people is that the so-called people-led government only exists in the lips of the governor and his appointed officials. In practical terms, there is no evidence that any expression is being given to the people-led concept of this government. Or else, how would one explain the imposition of arbitrarily contrived and outrageous levies and charges on the people?

What is your advice for the young starters, parents and people in government?
Early in life, youths must develop their core values, code of conduct, dreams, and vision to guide their peregrination through life; and not be despondent in the face of the current economic hardship, misrule and poor leadership in Nigeria, but be successfully contend with the challenges of life. Parents also must not, even in the face of the harsh economic and social climate, abandon their God-given parental responsibilities, and must inculcate discipline, godliness, moral values and commitment to excellence in their children, especially in the early phase of their development, and reprobate criminality at all times, rather than celebrate it. To the people in government, I implore them to give full expression to their constitutional responsibilities and dictates of their offices. At the level of politics, the challenges still remain that of lack of internal democracy in most of the political parties, the influence of “money politics,” a poorly enlightened and impoverished mass, a corrupt and fraudulent electoral system, and a substantially weak justice system in spite of some recent cases that tend to suggest some judicial rejuvenation and activism. They must carry out far-reaching and institutional reforms, especially as it borders on the justice, electoral, and political systems. In this regard, I urge President Umaru Yar’Adua to fully implement the Justice Uwais panel report on electoral reforms. Government must be tolerant of the opposition and know when to resign or quit office.