Cross River State Governor, Senator Prince Bassey Edet Otu, Deputy Governor, Rt. Hon. Peter Agbe Odey, Chief of Staff to the Governor, Hon. Chief Emmanuel Ironbar, and Commissioner for Health, Dr. Henry Egbe Ayuk, and Director General of Primary Health Care Development Agency, Dr. Vivien Mesembe Otu, were among top government officials honoured by the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), Cross River State Branch, for their outstanding contributions to healthcare development, as the Association inaugurated a new executive committee to pilot its affairs for the 2026–2028 tenure.
The awards were presented during the NMA Annual General Meeting, Scientific Conference and Investiture Ceremony held on Saturday, August 1, 2026, at Hogis Royale, Calabar. The Governor’s and Deputy Governor’s awards were received on their behalf by the Commissioner for Health, Dr. Henry Egbe Ayuk, while the Director-General of the Cross River State Primary Health Care Development Agency (CRSPHCDA), Dr. Vivien Otu, received the award presented to the Chief of Staff, Hon. Chief Emmanuel Ironbar.
Other award recipients included the State Accountant-General, Mrs. Glory T. Effiong, Chief Whip of the Cross River State House of Assembly and Chairman, House Committee on Health, Rt. Hon. Hilary Bisong, and the Deputy Leader of the Cross River State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. (Dr.) Davies Etta, in recognition of their support for healthcare reforms and the advancement of the medical profession.
Receiving the awards on behalf of Governor Otu and the Deputy Governor, Dr. Ayuk attributed the progress recorded in the state’s health sector to the Governor’s visionary leadership and the strong partnership between government and healthcare professionals.
“The peace, stability and progressive reforms we are witnessing in our health sector are a direct result of a supportive leadership that prioritises human capital development and institutional growth. We remain firmly committed to fostering an enabling environment that bridges gaps between practitioners and policymakers, ensuring that our healthcare system continues to thrive and set new benchmarks across the region,” he said.
The Commissioner further highlighted the cordial relationship between the Ministry of Health and the Nigerian Medical Association, noting that Cross River remains the only state where the NMA operates a liaison office within the Office of the Commissioner for Health.
Also speaking, the State Accountant-General, Mrs. Glory T. Effiong, reaffirmed the government’s commitment to the welfare of medical personnel, assuring that financial processes would continue to support prompt approvals and seamless welfare services for health workers.
The Director-General of the CRSPHCDA, Dr. Vivien Otu, said the agency remains focused on improving health sector performance through stronger collaboration with development partners, enhanced performance monitoring, digitisation of logistics and commodity management, and measures to address funding gaps affecting programme implementation.
Earlier, the outgoing Chairman of the NMA, Dr. Ezoke Epoke, welcomed participants to the Annual General Meeting and Scientific Conference themed “Advancing Patient-Centered Care in a Rapidly Evolving Medical Landscape.” He highlighted the achievements of his administration, including advocacy that led to the implementation of the Consolidated Medical Salary Structure (CONMESS), the lifting of the recruitment embargo on medical doctors and progress on key legislative initiatives affecting the medical profession.
The highpoint of the ceremony was the inauguration of a new eight-member executive committee led by Dr. Pius Agwuoye as Chairman. Other officers sworn in were Dr. Ninafiro Okwejie (Vice Chairman), Dr. Ukam Edadi (Secretary), Dr. Viviane Essien (Assistant Secretary), Dr. Otu Eupenyowon (Treasurer), Dr. Veral Egbe (Financial Secretary), Dr. Ezeh (Public Relations Officer) and Dr. Esor Ebong (Welfare Officer).
Chairman of the occasion, Dr. Rowland Ndoma-Egba, congratulated the new executive and urged members to sustain unity, professionalism and collaboration with government in advancing quality healthcare delivery across Cross River State.
By Kingsley Agim
