The Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN) has inducted 477 Foreign trained Medical and Dental graduates and cautioned them to avoid Japa syndrome, stay back in Nigeria and render care to people at home.

Speaking at the induction ceremony yesterday in Abuja, the Registrar of MDCN, Tajudeen Sanusi, told the graduands that some of the doctors who left the country for greener pastures in Europe are already complaining and regretting due to some discriminatory practices they are experiencing.

He said, “The issue of Japa will not do anybody any good, some of our doctors who migrated are regretting and have come back home because of discrimination and at the end of the day, you will find out that you have ended up wasting your time.”

Sanusi boasted that locally trained doctors are well-trained and that is why they are so much sought after across the globe.

He observed that the MDCN assessment examination which is a routine professional examination conducted to assess medical graduates trained outside Nigeria has attracted controversies in the past three years but vowed that the Council cannot go below standards.

Sanusi urged parents wishing to send their children abroad for training to send them to recognised and accredited institutions and ensure that if they train in that country, they can practice here in Nigeria.

He urged the inductees to uphold the ethics of medical profession and restore people to improved health.

Minister of Health, Dr. Osagie Ehanire, who was represented by Director, Planning Research and Statistics, Dr Ngozi Azodo said that Nigeria is right now challenged by the exodus of medical doctors and appealed to the inductees to contribute their quota to the strengthening of the nation’s health system and give their best to the society.

Jonathan who was President of Nigeria from 2010 to 2015, will be honoured with the African Democracy and Peace Icon Award.

“Jonathan’s name is written in gold for being the first incumbent Nigerian President to cede power peacefully to the opposition in the aftermath of an election, a move which saved the country from plunging into speculated crisis in 2015. “I’ve always affirmed, nobody’s ambition is worth the blood of any Nigerian,” he’s famed for saying at the time.

His administration brought on board professionals and technocrats, including the likes of WTO’s Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala and AfDB’s Akinwumi Adesina, whose expertise helped in revamping Nigeria’s economy”, the organiser stated.

Ian Khama who was Botswana’s fourth Head of State, will be honoured with the African Philanthropist Award for stamping his reputation as an advocate of human rights and respecter of the rule of law.

His foundation, the SKI Khama Foundation, has immensely empowered youths, contributed to the health, education and sports sectors of the country.

Currently serving as Liberia’s 30th Vice President, Howard-Taylor will be bestowed with the African Humanitarian Award.

She has been a very visible and involved stateswoman; with a vision for affordable but quality education; transparent justice system; improved and accessible health system; women’s economic and political participation; and an accountable public service system.

The late Magufuli will receive a posthumous African Icon Award for his giant strides during his short stint as President of Tanzania. When he came on board, his government worked to banish a lot of the chronic problems in the Tanzanian administrative and political leadership.

He fought a structure riddled by systemic corruption, characterised by ghost workers on payroll, underperformance and laxity in public service and extravagant spending.

Other awardees are: Victoria Nalongo Namusisi, Founder and Executive Director of the Bright Kids Uganda and Uganda’s first female Sports journalist; Simbi Kesiye Wabote, Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB); Prof. Patrick Loch Otieno Lumumba, Kenyan legal practitioner and Advocate of the High Courts of Kenya and Tanzania; Sir Benedict Peters, Founder and Managing Director/CEO of Aiteo Group.

Howes then responded by saying: “You agreed to donate your kidney, but didn’t plan going through.” He shook his head, reiterating he wasn’t told. When she referred him to page 41, entry 934 in the defence bundle, which was a WhatsApp message from Obeta, asking him to go to the Union Diagnostics Laboratory Centre to do six tests, including abdominal Ultrasound with kidney and blood group.

She then asked, “Why did you think Dr. Obeta wanted you to have a rest of kidney and it’s sizes?” Speaking through the Ibo interpreter, Nwamini told the court he thought it was to obtain visa.

When Howes said: “you knew Dr. Obeta insisted your kidneys be measured,” the witness said: he doesn’t know what a kidney is as at then.

The Senator, his wife, Beatrice, Sonia and Obeta all watched from the dock until the jury was discharged at noon. Sonia and her mum were excused from the afternoon session because of her ongoing thrice-a-week, four-hour dialysis appointment.