Barely two weeks after he bagged the Labour Hero Award bestowed on him by the Edo State government and organised labour, the immediate past President of the World Medical Association, (WMA) Dr. Osahon Enabulele has again been recognised for his unimpeachable leadership. This time, in faraway Seoul, South Korea, where he was conferred with the Honorary Membership of the Turkish Medical Association (TMA) on the sidelines of the recently held 226th WMA Council session tagged ‘Seoul 2024’.
Recall that Dr. Enabulele was on Monday, April 29, 2024, recognised as a Labour Hero, and conferred with a distinguished leadership award during the epochal commissioning of the ultra-modern Labour House in Benin City, Edo State, built by Governor Godwin Obaseki.
Perceived as a very rare gesture, the TMA said the conferment of its honorary membership on Dr. Enabulele was predicated on his exemplary and progressive leadership strides, including the period of his impactful leadership of the World Medical Association.
Presenting the Honorary Membership Certificate on behalf of the President, Executive Officers, and members of the Turkish Medical Association, Dr. Onur Naci Karahanci who doubles as the TMA’s Hatay Camp Director, stated that the decision of the Turkish Medical Association to induct Dr. Osahon Enabulele as an Honorary Member of the Turkish Medical Association, was in recognition and appreciation of Dr. Enabulele’s impactful contributions and efforts, as well as his progressive solidarity with the Turkish Medical Association.
In his response, Dr. Osahon Enabulele thanked the Turkish Medical Association for the unprecedented recognition, privilege, and honour. He stated that he was extremely humbled by the uncommon gesture of TMA and pledged his unwavering commitment to leadership values and virtues. He also assured the Turkish Medical Association of his sustained progressive solidarity.
The conferment ceremony was witnessed by the President of the Nigerian Medical Association, Dr. Uche Ojinmah, and the NMA National Publicity Secretary, Dr. Jerry Israel, who both congratulated Dr. Osahon Enabulele on his historic conferment.
It is on record that Dr. Osahon Enabulele who is the very first Nigerian Physician to serve as President of the World Medical Association, is the first Nigerian Physician to be so honoured by the Turkish Medical Association.
The honour bestowed on Dr. Enabulele’s is obviously not unconnected to the role he played during the TMA’s face-off with the government over its repressive policies, the height of which was the arrest and trial of the leadership of the association.
This, he highlighted in his valedictory speech at the end of his tenure. He recalled how his leadership showed massive solidarity with their colleagues “facing assaults from repressive regimes, including the Dr. Sebnem Korur Fincanci-led leadership of the Turkish Medical Association (TMA), who have been facing sustained assaults on their fundamental human rights, their medical professional autonomy, and clinical independence”. He noted that as a mark of solidarity with their colleagues in the TMA, he visited Ankara, capital of Turkey, “where I physically witnessed with sadness, the court trial of leaders of the Turkish Medical Association that took place on Thursday, June 22, 2023, in the Ankara Diskapi Court House, 31st Civil Court, in Ankara, Turkey”.
The former WMA President attributed what he described as “unjust trial of our progressive colleagues” to speaking against the ills in the system. He recalled how, before appearing in court, and leveraging strongly on his background experiences in struggles of this nature, he directly addressed a rally in support of their troubled colleagues within the precincts of the courthouse, as well as addressed a press conference “to drive home our case against the oppression of our colleagues in Turkey”. Expressing happiness “that our physical presence added to the atmosphere in the court and sent a loud signal to the Turkish Government and the Judiciary that the WMA was robustly in support of our colleagues”, Dr. Enabulele urged his colleagues “to remain united in our struggle against oppression of our colleagues, and to stoutly resist attempts at undermining their fundamental human and labour rights, as well as their medical professional autonomy and clinical independence”.