Messy fight: Global health body kicks out Nigeria over AMLSN leadership tussle

…Association splits into camps as key gladiators trade accusations

• Dr Ifeanyi defied court order, illegally elected – Dr. Odionyenma
  

• I was validly elected 15th President, have all paraphernalia of office – Dr Casmir Ifeanyi
  

Nigeria’s capacity for attracting international ignominy went up a notch higher when the Board of the International Federation of Biomedical Laboratory Science, IFBLS, based in Vancouver, Canada, withdrew its recognition of the Association of Medical Laboratory Scientists of Nigeria (AMLSN) as an affiliate member of the global healthcare body, and also suspended it from further participation in all the organs, programmes and activities approved by the federation.

In taking the drastic step, IFBLS said it was in response to what it described as the sustained violations of AMLSN’s constitution, and for the association not being in good standing by fully and properly observing relevant rules and regulations of the body, thereby grossly failing to meet fundamental requirements of the federation.

After exhaustive deliberations over the deteriorated governance structure of AMLSN, the federation wielded the big stick by not only derecognizing Nigeria, but it also removed Dr. Godswill Okara, a Nigerian and member of the board of the federation and barred him from seeking election pending the appropriate resolution of the leadership issue that led to the sanction and derecognition by the global body of biomedical scientists. 

In a letter dated September 11, 2024, signed by its President, Marie Culliton, IFBLS gave detailed reasons for taking the unprecedented action against the association. The letter which was jointly addressed to Dr. Uche C. Odionyenma and Dr Casmir Ifeanyi, (both of who are engaged in a tussle for the position of National President) and AMLSN, the global body stated as follows: “The By-Laws of the International Federation of Biomedical Science (IFBLS) require that members be in good standing (2.2.2). This is further codified in 2.2.2.1 – 2.2 2.6. Specifically, 2.2.2.3 requires that members shall have a Council or Board, the majority of members of which are locally qualified Biomedical Laboratory Scientists, which governs its affairs. Where a member no longer meets the requirements of 2.2.2.1 – 2.2.2.6 they may be derecognised by the Board of Directors of the Corporation.

“It is the opinion of the Board of Directors of the IFBLS Corporation that the Association of Medical Laboratory Scientists of Nigeria (AMLSN) no longer complies with these recognition requirements as evidenced by: (1) Failure to comply with its own constitutional provisions in the elections of 2020. (2) Failing to implement a court order when it was issued. (3) Proceeding to hold fresh elections in 2023 in the circumstances where there was a court order rescinding the results of the 2020 election and requiring the installation of the court declared victor as President. (4) Failure to provide clarity on the primary governing committee of the organisation between the National Executive Council and the Board of Trustees and their respective roles. (5) Permitting 2 individuals to use the title of President of the Association for a period of at least 6 weeks. (6) Failure to speak to IFBLS with one voice regarding the leadership and governance of the organisation and nomination of a single agreed delegation to our Annual General Assembly of Delegates. (7) Evidence of deep division within the members of the Association.”

After giving due consideration to the clear and cogent points it specified, the Board of IFBLS passed a resolution at its meeting of 11th September 2024 to the effect that the Association of Medical Laboratory Scientists of Nigeria (AMLSN) be derecognised as a member of IFBLS as it is no longer in good standing as required by Article 2.2.2.3 of the By Laws of the federation.

Furthermore, IFBLS stated in its letter under reference the clear and unambiguous consequences of the resolution, which it noted took effect immediately, as specified below:

“Dr Godswill Okara is stood down as a member of the Board; No member of AMLSN will be permitted to attend any part of the IFBLS meeting in 

Vancouver; Dr Godswill Okara cannot stand as a valid candidate for election to the Board of IFBLS; Withdrawal from consideration of any AMLSN member for any award offered by IFBLS. The Board does not take this decision lightly and is appreciative of the work and contribution of Dr Okara on the Board. Nevertheless, the Board must abide by its By-Laws and the governance they require. When AMLSN can confirm to IFBLS that its governance and affairs are back in compliance with our By-Laws we shall be happy to receive an application for recognition and to welcome the association back into membership.”

In a similar manner, the Nigerian Union of Allied Health Professionals (NUAHP), which is an affiliate of the Trade Unions Congress, TUC, in a letter dated September 17, 2024 with reference number, NUAHP/NS/AMLS/NP/Vol.1/012, and signed by the General Secretary, Comrade Martin Egbanubi, also suspended AMLSN from further participation in the national executive council meetings of NUAHP, pending the amicable resolution of the leadership tussle. It also advised the contending parties to approach a court of competent jurisdiction for an elucidatory and binding interpretation of the court judgment.

Following these unsavory developments which once again put Nigeria in bad light on the global stage, Sunday Sun reached out to elders of the medical laboratory science profession and other stakeholders, to learn more about the unfortunate outcome of the long running dispute within the leadership that began in 2017 and ultimately led to illegalities in the 2020 election which led to a prolonged court battle and was further compounded by disobedience to the judgment, which laid the foundation for the 2023 AMLSN annual general meeting in Abuja and election for new national officers that followed, which aggrieved members of the association who reached out to Sunday Sun have maintained was illegal, arguing that it was organised under Prof Damen whose election as national president had been nullified by the court. In the same vein, some other AMLSN members on the other side of the divide counter the argument with their own points.

In the wake of the derecognition of AMLSN, Sunday Sun contacted the Chairman of the AMLSN Board of Trustees, BoT, Chief (Mrs) Adunni Udu, to react to the development. 

A series of questions were sent to her private number via WhatsApp, and in a subsequent phone call, she promised to speak with the newspaper. But this did not eventually materialise by the time this copy was filed for publication.

However, in a document obtained by Sunday Sun in the course of investigation, she expressed her frustration and pain over the sanction placed on the association. The document read in part: “The recent incident in Vancouver, Canada, has brought international shame, showcasing selfish and greedy behaviour. It’s disheartening to see the Constitution being subverted to serve the interests of a select group. I’m concerned about the future of our association and the impact of these actions on our reputation.

“Unruly conduct and attempts to misappropriate association funds have followed, disregarding the constitution, colleagues, and our professional community’s commitment to excellent patient service.

“The BOT had the option to invoke Clause 19, page 25, of the AMLSN constitution, allowing the Board of Trustees to take over the administration.

However, I declined this option.

“Regrettably, money became a decisive factor, and the constitution was disregarded. This led to violence, threats, and misuse of power. Unruly conduct with ulterior motives and intentions to misappropriate funds by the current intimidations, which cascade into frivolous lawsuits.

“We should be honest and avoid playing the blame game. Responsible individuals cannot allow things to fall apart in AMLSN. The guidelines of the Constitution are sacrosanct:

– An experienced candidate must have previously served as a member.

– The decision by Prof. James Damen to extend his tenure through Prof. Musa Muhibe has caused controversies that lingered in court during his administration. The Board of Trustees (BoT) has warned on several occasions to refrain from this, as it drains the association’s finances due to legal fees. They were adamant about abusing the Constitution with orchestrated elections.”

Also speaking in the same vein on the leadership tussle which has embroiled AMLSN, a member of the BoT, Mr Haruna Mohammed, said: “I feel sad.”

How it all began

The road that finally led AMLSN into the valley of dishonour, began in the runup to the 2020 election of the association when three candidates, Dr Uche Odionyenma, Prof James Garba Damen and Dr Casmir Ifeanyi, indicated interest in contesting for the position of National President. 

By the provisions of the constitution, a candidate ought to have served a full term on the EXCO to be qualified to run. As at that time Odionyenma had served for two full terms on the EXCO while Damen and Ifeanyi were yet to complete their individual first terms on the EXCO.

Odionyenma contended that they were not qualified. But somehow, allegedly under duress, the Ad Hoc National Election Committee, ANEC, still cleared them to run, in violation of the constitution. And when the election was held in Abakaliki, Ebonyi State, Prof Damen was declared the winner.

Not pleased with the outcome, Odionyenma filed a suit, No. NICN/ABJ/368/2020, at the National Industrial Court of Nigeria, NICN, to challenge the eligibility of Prof Damen and Dr Ifeanyi.

In an interview with Sunday Sun, Odionyenma narrated what transpired thereafter. He said: “At this point in time, when the then National President and the Electoral Committee failed to heed the petition against clearing Prof Damen and Dr. Ifeanyi, some of the members went to court and got an ex parte order, to stop the election. But in typical Nigerian manner, they defied the court, locked up the venue and went ahead with the illegal election. At the end of the illegal process, Prof Damen emerged. Then I formally filed a suit at the National Industrial Court of Nigeria (NICN), to challenge the eligibility of both Damen and Ifeanyi to contest. But the legal adviser of the Association used a lot of legal gimmicks and technicalities to prolong the case. Usually, a tenure lasts for three years. After more than two years and about two months to the end of the tenure, the Court gave judgment in my favour on October 10,  2023.”

The court declared Odionyenma as the unopposed candidate and ordered that he should be sworn in immediately. Despite the court’s order, Odionyenma was not sworn-in immediately under circumstances he explained to Sunday Sun.

His words: “The first person who called to congratulate me was Dr. Ifeanyi. He spoke to me in Igbo and said that the case was upright and straightforward. He offered to work with me and serve in any capacity under my leadership, that whatever I wanted him to do, he would do. And I said, ‘Thank you my brother and for the show of gallantry, by calling me even though you were a defendant in the case. You lost and you were able to call to congratulate me. We need all hands on deck, to move the association forward.’ We ended the call on what I thought was a warm and sincere note.

But surprisingly, one week after he had called to congratulate me, he went to court to challenge the judgment and asked the court to set it aside, on the grounds that he was a defendant and nobody called him to give evidence. The whole thing was laughable. Prof Damen also called to congratulate me and said we should work together to get me onboard. Surprisingly, Damen turned around, changed his mind and said he was going on appeal. He applied to the Court for a stay of execution. To appeal against a judgment, you have to seek leave of the court. While the application for leave to appeal had not been heard, he undermined the judgment of the court, kept parading himself as National President and conducted an illegal election that brought Dr. Ifeanyi in, against all legal advice and wise counsel of key elders of the profession and other stakeholders. They told him that he could not hold an election when there was subsisting court judgment, but they believed in the Nigerian way, where anything can be manipulated to achieve an illegal purpose. Anyway, he went ahead and conducted that election which everybody knew was illegal on November 18, 2023. After the election, the Chairman of the BoT, Chief (Mrs) Adunni Udu, in a letter dated November 29, 2023, warned Prof Damen not to swear Dr. Ifeanyi in as National President. He disregarded the warning. As at the time he was sworn in, there was no stay of execution, no appeal or higher court judgment that set aside the decision of NICN. So it was obvious that both of them were taking illegal steps.

Another twist they brought in was that the judgment did not specify a definite time limit for executing the judgment. They said this because my lawyer had threatened to sue the members of the Board of Trustees for defying the court by not swearing me in. They said that the word “immediately” used by the judge in the judgment had no time limit. The claimed that the judge ought to have said that the judgment be executed within 24 hours, 48 hours or even within one week. They argued that “immediately” could be now or even one year after or forever.”

Dr Casmir Ifeanyi who spoke with Sunday Sun, asserted that the NICN judgment did not apply to him as the 2020 electoral process was for the election of the 14th National President of AMLSN while he was elected as the 15th National President during the 2023 electoral cycle. He contended that Prof Damen served out his tenure, which he posited was the crux of the case instituted by Odionyenma, and further argued that it had practically nothing to do with his election as the 15th AMLSN president, explaining that he had continued to function in that capacity.

He said that the three years tenure of Prof James Damen as the 14th National President of AMLSN ran from 2020 and elapsed on November 16, 2023. He stressed that he was elected on November 18, 2023 

His words: “Without inhibitions, encumbrances, or Court Order, the 59th Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the Association of Medical Laboratory Scientists of Nigeria (AMLSN) resolved at the AGM that the Ad hoc Electoral Committee (ANEC) established by the AMLSN Constitution 2018 (As Amended) should conduct elections for the 15th National Executive Officers as is stipulated for every three years, i.e. at the end of every tenure. I contested in the said election, won and I was sworn in a communal oath of office as the 15th National President along with other elected national officers immediately after the results were declared and a certificate of return was issued to me.” 

When Sunday Sun contacted him, to respond through voice note to additional questions sent to him via WhatsApp, he referred the newspaper to a YouTube channel, Brekete Family, a popular programme that he had developed a strong affinity for and regularly featured on, to speak on health sector issues. Incidentally, he and Odionyenma had jointly featured in the particular YouTube episode, under reference, at the invitation of the coordinator/producer. Ifeanyi gave an account of how he emerged as the National President and also displayed his paraphernalia of office, to buttress his claims to being the chief executive of the association. In the said YouTube video, while denying various allegations of using the police and thugs to lock up the secretariat of the association, he also alleged that Odionyenma was indicted by the Ethics and Disciplinary Committee (EDC) which investigated the alleged misappropriation of N10 million released to a committee headed by him.

When Sunday Sun sought Odionyenma’s reaction to Ifeanyi’s claim on Brekete, he debunked the allegation of misappropriation, outright, and also faulted the coordinator of the programme for not allowing him respond to the claim on the programme, and dismissed Ifeanyi’s allegation as false and diversionary.

His words: “Disregard the blatant lies of Dr. Casmir at Brekete. Dr. Casmir accused me of transferring N10m naira into my personal account when I served as Chairman, National Organizing Committee of our Conference in 2017 at Kaduna. The truth is that our conference account was about to be frozen due to incomplete documentation and the bank manager graciously suggested the movement of the fund to a personal account, to enable us run the conference. My account was used as the Chairman, NOC. When they tried smearing my character over the issue with the kangaroo report of the EDC, I petitioned the then BoT which reviewed the EDC report and issued a public statement absolving me from any misappropriation or embezzlement.

“Casmir’s desperation knows no bounds. Resurrecting a determined issue is sheer mischief. The questions are: (1) I challenged the eligibility of both Casmir and Damen in court in 2020, why didn’t they challenge my eligibility based on embezzlement of N10m in 2017? (2) Why didn’t they inform the court that I transferred N10m to my account for personal use? (3) If I converted N10m to my personal use, how did the conference get funded? (4) ⁠Why didn’t Damen while in office as President push for my refund of the N10m or engage external auditors to audit the 2017 conference? (5) Why did the EDC refuse to tell the then BoT how they arrived at the decision that I refund N10m in the face of the breakdown of expenses the money was used for? (6) Ask Dr. Casmir the outcome of the petition he wrote to Force CID Abuja on the N10m he claimed I transferred to my account for “personal use” after his removal from office in June 2024? (7) ⁠How does the laughable resurrection of the BoT-determined N10m issue affect disobedience to a valid court order by Casmir?

“If Dr. Casmir strongly feels that I converted Association money for personal use, he should be man enough to institute a legal action against me, not mere verbal allegations. It’s all diversionary tactics. A case of a drowning man trying to hold onto anything to stay afloat.”

Prior to the derecognition of AMLSN by the International Federation of Biomedical Laboratory Scientists, IFBLS, the leadership tussle had polarised the profession into camps: those who are like Switzerland (neutral, but disturbed by the crisis that has embroiled the association), and the distinct, disproportionate two groups that either support Uche Odionyenma or Casmir Ifeanyi.

With the crisis deteriorating to the point of Ifeanyi allegedly inviting police to seal up the secretariat and subsequently having thugs allegedly guard the facility alongside the policemen deployed there, a distinguished medical laboratory scientist and former Vice Chancellor, Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma, Edo State, Prof Dennis Agbonlahor, moved to mitigate the worsening situation and disrepute which the leadership fight was heaping on the profession.

He convened a broad-based meeting of elders and stakeholders of the association, which was held at Reliance Hotel, Benin City, Edo State, on July 31, 2024. The meeting was attended by the leaders/heads of the 14 critical subgroups representing nationwide membership, namely: (1) Past Presidents of the Association; (2) Board of Trustees of the Association (BOT)

(3) National Executive Officers (NEOs); (4) Board of Fellows of the Association; (5) Guild of Medical Laboratory Directors (GMLD); (6) Association of Female Medical Laboratory Scientists of Nigeria; (7) Branch Chairmen and Secretaries Forum; (8) Young Medical Laboratory Scientists Forum; (9) North Central Zone; (10) South West Zone; (11) South East Zone; (12) South South Zone; (13) North West Zone and (14) North East Zone.

After much deliberations, the elders and stakeholders passed 12 key resolutions, notably, (Item 4): “The meeting urged Dr Casmlr Ifeanyi to continue to pursue his case in court rather than resorting to self-help and to stop parading himself as National President and all members should always abide by the Constitution of the Association and rule of law; (Item 5): “The meeting commended the BOT for abiding and complying with the orders of the court by swearing in Dr. Uche Odionyema as National President and they were also urged to continue to abide and uphold all rules as the custodians of the Association. The meeting condemned the use of thugs to attack BOT members during their meeting at AMLSN Secretariat in Abuja. Association activities should resume fully immediately at AMLSN Secretariat and the leadership of AMLSN should provide adequate security of lives and properties; (Item 10): “The meeting appealed to Dr. Uche Odionyemna to serve with the current NEOs until the end of their tenure in order to avoid staggered elections and it was resolved.”

Furthermore, the elders and stakeholders frowned on the continued display of indiscipline in profession among members. Henceforth, it said, the AMLSN Constitution and the Code of Conduct for Medical Laboratory Scientists should be fully enforced by the Association and MLSCN.

“Electoral Committees at all levels should always strictly abide by the provisions of the Constitution of the Association in the discharge of their duties.”

As stated in the document of the resolutions sighted by Sunday Sun, of the 14 critical stakeholders that attended the meeting, 11 subgroups representing 78.6 percent upheld the action of the BOT for swearing-in Dr. Uche Odionyema as National President and the other three (21.4 percent) were undecided as at the time the meeting ended.

Sunday Sun gathered that while Odionyenma attended the meeting, Ifeanyi chose not to attend, positing that the meeting had no binding force on him.

As the dust of controversies swirl, a member of the association, Mr. Adeleke Olaoluwa (aka Oluomo), in a statement titled, “Restoring Integrity and Respect for the Rule of Law in AMLSN”, berated those he described as the engine room of the trouble buffeting the association and which has hindered its progress at a critical time when it should be fully focused on confronting the rot in the country’s health sector.

His words: “I will continue to expose the lies, falsehoods, and propaganda being spread by the lawless faction of AMLSN. Many medical laboratory scientists in Nigeria have been asking why the elders, who have been insulted since before the 2017 AMLSN elections, have remained silent. These elders faced severe insults when one of the 2017 hijackers emerged illegally in 2023. When these elders recently tried to speak up, they were again harshly insulted by the same lawless faction.

“Ironically, one of those who insulted the elders is someone many believed to be a man of integrity. However, with the introduction of the GIP by the godfather of the lawless faction, it has become clear that this individual is a hypocrite and a pretender. His vested interests have shown that he is more concerned about protecting his faction than ensuring the collective good of the profession. He is one of the architects behind the fraudulent and chaotic AMLSN 2018 Amended Constitution.

“This is what happens when people place personal emotions above the collective interest. It is precisely what we are witnessing in the current debacle within AMLSN. While I do not support anyone undermining the MLS profession for personal gain, whether they are elders or past heroes of the profession, I believe in exposing all those who sell the profession for selfish interests. “Every AMLSN member, whether part of the BoT, NEOs, NEC, or any other body, has the right to support their preferred candidate during elections. What is unacceptable, however, is for an ANEC member—whose duty is to oversee elections— to openly declare support for a candidate while being responsible for protecting their region’s interests over the profession’s collective good. Such partisan behaviour from ANEC members undermines the integrity of the election process and misinterprets both the NICN judgment and the AMLSN Constitution.

“Some members of our profession boldly contravened our constitution, and the court’s judgment simply stated that such contravention should not stand. It is shameful that we relied on the court to compel us to abide by our own rules. What’s worse is that some of us continue to publicly display disregard for the rule of law, further tarnishing the reputation of our profession.

At present, AMLSN faces sanctions both domestically and internationally, all because of these lawless and greedy individuals. Their reckless actions will soon lead them to face the consequences.”

Continuing, Adeleke explained the legal implications of ignoring court judgments, saying that conducting an election and transitioning to new leadership while ignoring a subsisting court judgment is a serious issue. 

He said: “The newly sworn-in president’s position is legally precarious at best and potentially void. The court will likely see this as a direct challenge to its authority and respond accordingly, possibly nullifying the election and reaffirming its previous judgment. There may also be penalties imposed on those who defied its orders.

“To provide clarity, here’s an analysis of the situation: (1) An election was conducted under questionable circumstances. (2) One of the contestants, Dr. Uche Odionyemma, went to court to seek redress. (3) The court ruled in favour of Dr Uche during Prof. Damen’s tenure. (4) Despite this ruling, Prof. Damen conducted another election and swore in a new president, Dr. Casmir Ifeanyi. (5) The court declared Dr. Uche the rightful winner and ordered that he be sworn in as president.

“In this scenario: the court ruling must be respected and implemented; the election conducted by Prof. Damen is likely to be considered invalid; the swearing-in of Dr. Casmir was a violation of the court ruling. This disregard for the rule of law has created further conflicts within the association. Unfortunately, it reflects poorly on us as professionals, both at home and abroad.

The swearing-in of Dr. Casmir as president is null and void, and Dr. Uche should rightfully assume the position of AMLSN president.”

“It is particularly troubling that Dr Casmir has resorted to using thugs to desecrate AMLSN’s headquarters, a place we hold dear due to our hard-earned contributions. It is clear that the lawless faction refuses to address why the secretariat has been under lock, staff are unpaid, and the situation remains unresolved.

“A support for Dr Casmir is a support for lawlessness, hooliganism, and gangsterism. I strongly advise Dr Casmir to honorably return all AMLSN-related properties under his care before his reputation is damaged further, both locally and internationally. It is time for us to reclaim our profession from those who seek to destroy it for personal gain. We must restore integrity, fairness, and the rule of law to the leadership of AMLSN.”

Another member of the BoT, Julius Odegbemi, in response to questions regarding the present situation of AMLSN said: “A true medical laboratory scientist will not be happy about what is happening to the leadership of AMLSN, presently. Based on the judgment of NICN, which should be binding on any law-abiding citizen of the country,  Dr Uche Odionyema should be the authentic President barring any other counter judgment. The BoT has obeyed the NICN judgment by swearing in Dr Uche Odionyema. The IFBLS suspension is viewed with serious concern. Whoever contributed to the negative action should see reason to be a true medical laboratory scientist and do the needful.”

Mrs Abimbola Onaoluwa, an AMLSN member who is equally unhappy over the shenanigans going on in the association, while responding to a social media comment by a certain member of the association (identity concealed) wrote: “Dear S***u, Please stop tagging and mentioning me all over the place. I will not respond to most of the untrue statements you made except for the KADA 2017 matter which seems to be the trump propaganda card you are using now. As you have been sharing this lying vindictive commentary all over the place, I hope you can stand before God to defend how you shared a one-sided story against another person and did not share the truth that exonerated him. It is easy to tell lies or share lies about another person. 

“Those who are discerning enough know that all that happened in KADA 2017 was a massive plot to sabotage the conference and ridicule one of the strong contenders for Presidency at the time. There were many people who were involved in this plot. Those who masterminded it also know themselves. 

They do not know it yet, but they sowed a bad seed that will continue giving errors for a long time until they repent and uproot the evil seed. 

“Like I asked on the other platform, I will repost some of the questions I had for the Ethics and Disciplinary Committee (EDC) here, after reading that lying, vindictive report that claimed Dr Uche should refund AMLSN 10 million Naira used for personal uses. 

“I have had several questions for the EDC over the years. For instance, was Dr Raheem who was National President at the Kaduna Conference not aware and contributory to the decision to withdraw N10 million from the AMLSN Account that was about to be frozen by the bank because of some irregularities (BOT or so related)? Was the list of persons and disbursements made not provided? Why was a claim that the N10 million withdrawn was used for personal reasons made? What was the evidence for this? Was Dr Uche Odionyenma asked to clarify whether he had personal money in the account before the money for the frozen account was transferred to him after two other committee members declined the transfer and asked him as NOC Chair to collect it. Why did the EDC Chair later resign before the completion of Dr Bassey’s tenure and his resignation letters leading to allusions that the indictment done against Dr Uche was actually a planned directive. 

“I have more questions, but these four are the major ones. As a person, I have studied many documents on this matter since five years ago and my conclusions are that all that happened in KADA 2017 was a planned sabotage that was masterminded against the conference in Kaduna and against Dr Uche Odionyenma.

“The conclusions from the EDC indictment report also did not align with some of the realities that documented evidence showed and that is why the BOT discarded that EDC indictment where it rightly belonged – in the trash can.”

In what could only be described as coup de grace, Abimbola dismissed S***u this way: “If you want to roll in the mud or fight dirty, please look for the clan of pigs and roll with them. I am not a pig. If you are like me, and want peaceful progress for AMLSN, kindly stop this propaganda smear campaign and all the diversionary tactics and support the Association under the leadership of the President Dr Uche Odionyenma while you advise Dr Casmir Ifeanyi to also follow the gentlemanly approach like Dr Uche did for many years.” 

On the other side of the divide, a supporter of the embattled Ifeanyi, who requested not to be identified given that he holds a senior position in the public service of a conservative administration which is averse to controversies, said: “Dr. Casmir Ifeanyi was duly elected, and until there is any legitimate court ruling otherwise, his presidency should be respected. AMLSN has a bright future, but only if we allow it to flourish under the leadership of those who are committed to progress, not those who are stuck in the past.”

Another member of the association, a politician from the Southeast, who weighed in and strictly requested that his identity be not disclosed, spoke strongly in support of Dr Ifeanyi.

In all the back and forth over the leadership tussle, the only question that is dangling in the air and remains unanswered is this: when will morality, integrity and the rule of law be restored in the handling of the affairs of the AMLSN and thereby hasten the restoration of the association by the International Federation of Biomedical Laboratory Science (IFBLS) and the Nigeria Union of Allied Health Professionals (NUAHP)? Meanwhile, the jury is still out and AMLSN is clothed with the garment of dishonour.