Nigerian doctor suspended for flogging son in UK gets job back

A UK-based Nigerian doctor, Adekunle Okunuga has gotten his job back following his suspension from work for beating his son.

The 59-year-old consultant anesthetist whose name was removed from the medical register after he was found guilty of serious professional misconduct by a disciplinary panel in 2015, blamed his “cultural upbringing” in Nigeria for the act, Daily Mail UK reports.

The newspaper reports that the suspension of the Nigerian doctor who was sentenced to eight weeks in jail and ordered to complete 160 hours of unpaid work has been lifted and he has been reinstated earlier this month following his apology.

The Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service in Manchester was told the assault occurred in June 2014 after Okunuga and his wife, who at the time lived in Rugby, Warwickshire, were summoned to their son’s primary school after the boy who had been facing expulsion got into trouble for not submitting homework, swearing, using the word ‘rape’ and lying to other pupils to seek attention.

Okunuga caned his son for misbehaving in school and made him stand one leg with his arms in the air while he kicked him.

The boy was temporarily put in foster care and was later returned to his family.

His apology

“My actions embarrassed the medical profession and brought it into disrepute and as a member of the medical community, I should be role model. I apologised sincerely to the GMC and the wider public,” he was quoted to have said.

Read also: UK doctors reject China made ventilators, say they were badly built

“My behaviour was born out of my cultural upbringing, I should have known better and I take full responsibility for my actions.

“If I were to witness a similar occurrence by one of my colleagues, I would be the first to speak up and take action and report it to the appropriate authorities.

“I have been working abroad but have always given full disclosure of my sanction to all employers and the relevant medical authorities.

“I have attended courses in order to maintain my professional development and am clinically ready to resume practice in the United Kingdom where I could be of tremendous support to the medical community.”

Join the conversation

Opinions

Support Ripples Nigeria, hold up solutions journalism

Balanced, fearless journalism driven by data comes at huge financial costs.

As a media platform, we hold leadership accountable and will not trade the right to press freedom and free speech for a piece of cake.

If you like what we do, and are ready to uphold solutions journalism, kindly donate to the Ripples Nigeria cause.

Your support would help to ensure that citizens and institutions continue to have free access to credible and reliable information for societal development.

Donate Now