Chairman of the Medical Council of Jamaica Dr John Hall was recently conferred with a Nigerian chieftaincy upon a recent visit to that populous African country.

Dr Hall, Jamaica’s most experienced neurologist, had been invited to visit Nigeria by the Nigerian Medical Association, Imo State branch, in collaboration with Ebonyi State University, Abakaliki, Department of Pathology, Neurosurgical Neurological-Environment research team; Federal Teaching Hospital, Abakaliki; and the Federal University of Technology, Owerri.

The Nigerian Medical Association recently celebrated its golden anniversary and asked Dr Hall, who is also a past president of Medical Association of Jamaica to participate in the celebrations and to present a paper at the scientific conference.

The conferment of the Chieftaincy, however, was done in a private ceremony at the Palace of His Royal Highness, Eze Livinus Okeahialam, Ezeala 1 of Onicha-Amairi, Autonomous Community, Ezinihitte-Mbaise in Imo State. The venue was the historic site of the British massacre of the Nigerians in the 18th century.

The golden anniversary celebrations also coincided with 50 years of medical practice by Nigerian Dr Mike Ibe (MD, FMHN, DMP, FICS), a milestone regarded as phenomenal and most unusual in Nigeria; and this was made the focal point of the celebrations embracing a medical conference and several social events and culminating in a grand gala.

After graduating MD from the University of Amsterdam in March 1967, at the height of the Biafran war in Nigeria, Dr Ibe headed to Jamaica and joined Dr Hall’s team at the Kingston Public Hospital. The experience and teaching at the neurology clinic fixed his interest on the specialty — neurology. After further training in Zurich, Switzerland, he returned to Jamaica and went home to Nigeria in 1978.

There he became a revered household name locally in Imo, his home state, and also regionally and nationally. He has published widely in the WIMJ (West Indian Medical Journal) and other international journals. He is a distinguished figure at World Congresses of Neurosurgery and has established and excellent teaching programme at the Federal University of Technology, which he founded at Owerri, Imo state Nigeria. He is also consultant neurosurgeon to the Ebonyi State University and the Federal Teaching Hospital, Abakaliki. Many honours have been given him by the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) and regional and national organisations. He was at one time commissioner for health, and more recently, commissioner for education.

Dr Mike ON Ibe has happy memories of his stay in Jamaica and recalls with affection the many friends he made. He kept in touch with his mentor Dr Hall and insisted on his presence at the Golden Anniversary celebrations.

Dr Hall was warmly received by the NMA, state officials, and Dr Ibe’s wide circle of family and friends, and specially welcomed to the home of his ancestors.

Dr Hall presented a paper on ‘Man, Medicine, and the challenges of the 21st Century’ at the scientific conference. He presented Dr Ibe with a copy of the book “KPH, the high seat of medicine in Jamaica”, as well as an autographed copy of his autobiographical book “Clinical Embrace” a mid-century journey to KPH.

Greetings from the MAJ and the Medical Council of Jamaica were enthusiastically received.

Dr Ibe married a Jamaican nurse while he worked in Jamaica.