An Enugu-based legal practitioner and rights activist, Ikechukwu Maximus Ugwuoke has commenced committal proceedings against the leadership of the Nigerian Medical Association, NMA.
Ugwuoke, in two seperate suits, is accusing the NMA led by Dr Uche Rowland Ojinmah of disobeying a valid order of court.
One of the suits, No E/1109 2023 currently pending at Enugu State High Court, has as defendants, the NMA President, Dr Uche Rowland Ojinmah, Chairman NMA Disciplinary committee, Dr Osahon Enabulele, Purported Coordinator NMA Enugu West Zone, Dr Paschal Chime, Purported Secretary NMA Enugu West Zone, Dr Uzoma Ossai, Secretary, NMA Enugu State, Dr Sunday Okafor and Chairman, NMA Enugu State, Dr Celestine Ugwuoke.
Ugwuoke is also seeking the sum of one billion Naira as aggravated damages to the alleged damage done to him and that of his client, Dr Victor Nnaemaka Nmanchi.
The plaintiff maintained that the only legitimate way to redeem his image before the public is for the defendants to retract alleged frivolous statements, publications and insinuations against him and pay compensation for the damage done to his profession.
He told journalists after filing the suit that the NMA current leadership demonstrated a shameless lack of respect to the court and the rule of law.
He alleged that he secured an order of an Enugu State High Court that directed all parties to maintain status quo pending the determination of a motion on notice against any form of disciplinary action against his client.
Ugwuoke said despite the NMA being served with the court order, the Association led by its current president, Dr Uche Ojinma still proceeded to entertain the subject matter of the suit and suspended his said clients from the Association at its last NEC meeting held from 10th to 17th December, 2023.
“This was despite a repeated court warning to the association through their lawyer that represented them in court to desist from the path they were treading pending the determination of the motion on notice duly served on them.
“There is no better demonstration of brazen lawlessness and lack of respect to rule of law than this,” the lawyer said.
He revealed that he has initiated contempt proceedings against the President of the Association and all those involved in the violation of the court order, asserting that “nobody is above the law and one day, the current leadership of NMA shall have their day in court to account for their actions.”
He described it as an unfortunate Christmas and New Year gift for the current NMA leadership.
In the writ of summon obtained by our correspondent, the lawyer is seeking a declaration “that being a legal practitioner in Nigeria, he has a duty to accept briefs and instructions from his clients and to carry out the instructions in professional manner without let, blackmail, castigation, intimidation, hindrance, victimisation, vituperations, or hindrance in any form by the Defendants or any person whosever.
“A declaration that the plaintiff has a long-standing professional relationship with different Associations of medical practitioners in Nigeria and enjoys a good reputation amongst them having been their legal representative in various suits he had handled for them across the country.
“A declaration that the plaintiff was duly briefed and mobilised by his client Dr Victor Nnaemeka Nmanchi, a medical practitioner in Nigeria to commence a suit against Caretaker Committee of NMA Enugu West Zone and the purported excos that emerged in a kangaroo election conducted by the committee for the zone, which suit the plaintiff duly prepared and filed with his client’s name Dr Victor Nnaemeka N as suit No HAGB/26/2022 at Enugu State High Court Agbani judicial Division, in the exercise of his professional duty as a Legal Practitioner in Nigeria.
“A declaration that identity of the plaintiff’s client, Dr Victor Nnaemeka N has never been in doubt nor raised as an issue before the Agbani High Court where the said suit HAGB/26/2022 was filed nor questioned before the plaintiff as his counsel by any of the defendants in the said suit or any of the defendants in this suit as not being one and same person as Dr Victor Nnaemeka Nnamchi.
“A declaration that the write up and publication made by the 4th and 5th Defendants on or about 4th November 2024 tagged “ATTENTION NMA ENUGU WEST ZONE” inferring that the Plaintiff was engaged by Dr Chibuzo Ndiokwelu and co, to fraudulently file a suit Suit No HAGB/26/2022 using an unknown and a nonexistent name Dr Victor Nnaemeka N and that Dr Chibuzo Ndiokwelu along with his gang funded the suit directly from NMA Enugu West account with the a total of N250,000.000 paid to the Plaintiff on same day November 24th that the suit was filed and served, was false damages the reputation of the Plaintiff and therefore defamatory.
“An injunction restraining the defendants and their agents and privies from taking any further action relating to their said acts of defamation as stated in this case or taking any further action relating to the facts of this case that intend to embarrass, harass or impinge the character and reputation of the plaintiff in any manner whatsoever both within and outside the 1st defendants’ association.
“An order of the Honourable Court compelling the defendants jointly or severally to pay the plaintiff the sum of N1,000, 000,000.00 (One Billion Naira) as damages in compensation for defamation, mental stress and psychological injuries occasioned to the Plaintiff by Defendant’s defamatory actions in this case.”
The defendants are yet to be served with the court summons, just as no date has been fixed for hearing as of the time of filing this report.
Alleged contempt: Lawyer moves to commit NMA president, others to prison
