Doctors And Prison Executions.

I hereby state very clearly that no doctor worthy of his calling may participate in the statutory killing of his fellow men.

Quoting The Punch:
"In an earlier petition submitted to the governor by the executed prisoners on December 21, 2016 through LEDAP, protesting the plan for their execution, the prisoners had pleaded with the governor to shelve the planned execution because there was a pending case at the Court of Appeal, Lagos brought by all death row prisoners in Nigeria against their execution."

"The appeal had not been decided and it was therefore, illegal to carry out the executions, Mr Chino Obiagwu, National Coordinator of LEDAP had argued in the earlier petition."

"He said they were appalled that the earliest social duty of Governor Obaseki upon assumption of office was execution of his citizens on death row."

Perhaps Governor Obaseki wanted to prove his bravery to authorize the death of his fellow men...in contrast to his colleagues in other states variously perceived as cowards. But he was rather impulsive...as the killed prisoners still have an appeal pending in court!

The cases of innocent persons erroneously executed in China come to mind here. The state apologised to the families of the men statutorily murdered... and paid out what it deemed to be commensurate monetary compensations. But what amount of money can really be enough in such vague recompense. How much money can purchase a human life? What is a fair pecuniary cost or worth of a human life?

It is for lawlessness of government as personified by Obaseki and the irreversibility of death that no doctor worth his calling should be seen to advocate for, or participate in, the death of another human being just to humour the state!

It is for such irreversibility and such finality of death that no true doctor must participate in prison executions. It is undoubtedly against his calling!

http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/882727
Dr Tosin Akindele is currently writing his biography, The Tragedy of Truth. He is a medical practitioner and public affairs analyst.