I SPOKE to my Oga this morning, the National Publicity Secretary, NPS, of the ruling All Progressive Congress, APC, Dr. Felix Morka, who is in far away London, where his eldest child and daughter, Naomi Morka, graduated with a First Class in Medicine, from the prestigious University College London (UCL). Effective from yesterday, 07/07/2023, Naomi must be denominated as Dr. Naomi Morka, MBBS, B.Sc (Hons) Surgical Sciences.
Undoubtedly, this is a feat that must earn the felicity of any father, regardless of his personality or position in the society, and my Oga can not evade that elation. I would touch on Mr. Morka’s modesty and his sense of self-effacing later, but for now, I want to delve on the pre-eminence of our daughter, Dr. Naomi Morka, the brand new surgical doctor from the kingdom of King Charles.
Before I go into the merit of making a First class in any field of studies, it may help, to do a short and simple overview on the challenges or unusual features of going through the faculty of medicine as a student. Yes, as a student not a typist, that is employed in the faculty to type letters and exam papers for the students. Medical students, like, until recently our own Dr. Noami, go through very tasking and challenging experiences.
They spend a lot of time and money to learn and study, and no matter the time spent in preparation, and the amount for such study, every student live with some level of fear, because he or she is likely to encounter some things that were not anticipated before. An old friend of mine who went through the medical school told me that, the biggest challenge of medical school that every medical student faces is time management, and so much of your personal and professional success depends on your ability to manage your time, including the time to say thank you Dady and Mummy, or say prayers to the God that brought you to life.
It is pertinent to note that Dr. Naomi did not only go through those stages, but went through them successfully, to graduate with the mind-blowing First class position. Quoting from the comments of some of her colleagues, who were quick to slightly expose her modest and ever unassuming father, it says, “ Dr. Naomi is the daughter of the APC scribe. She is a Nigerian and American citizen. During her time as a medical student at UCL, she chaired the UCL women in surgery committee, giving her the opportunity to create the largest women in surgery mentoring scheme in the UK and organised a national award winning conference.
She contributed to authoring multiple research papers spanning the fields of oncology, medical imaging and surgery. Before her graduation, she was the Student Representative for the Clinical and Professional Module from 2017 to 2023. Dr. Naomi Morka also took part in the African and Caribbean Society’s Monitoring Scheme. She graduated with a keen interest in research, healthcare administration and global health; and passionate about improving the quality of medical care, especially in low income settings”.
Like the old adage, like father, like son, which is used to buttress that a boy or girl has the same attitudes as his or her father, one needs not be a doctor to diagnose that Naomi has taken, almost completely, the genes of intelligence of her father. And I hope she has also acquired the mentality of modesty that is plenteous in the man, Dr. Felix Morka.
I am using the prefix Dr. in Felix Morka’s name prehab’s for the first time, because he never likes flaunting the eminent tittle of Dr., despite the fact that he has a Phd, which yours truly, would have over used, even if he accidently got it by way of honoris causa. The resume of Dr. Felix Morka almost runs like the telephone directory of the African Union, AU. But because of modesty and his high sense of self-effacing, the man moves with the simplicity of the ordinary man on the street.
Aside the Phd, Morka holds a Master of Laws Degree (LL.M) from the Harvard Law School. He is the Founder and Executive Director of the Social and Economic Rights Action Centre (SERAC). He is the CEO of Urban Spaces Innovation (USI); Diji Properties and Investment Ltd.; and Alese Social Housing Development Ltd. Morka served as the Legal Officer for Africa of the Washington, D.C.-based International Human Rights Law Group, where he conducted and participated in key projects advancing the rule of law in Malawi, Kenya and Nigeria.
In Ethiopia, Morka participated in a major study of the country’s judicial system. Morka was the Legal Director of the Civil Liberties Organization (CLO). He introduced and coordinated innovative programs that expanded access to CLO’s free legal services and led the organization’s path-breaking public interest litigation activities. In 1995, Morka has litigated and won several landmark cases within the municipal and international legal fora, including Georgina Ahamefula v. Imperial Medical Center (a case of unconstitutional discrimination based on HIV/AIDS Status), and Social and Economic Rights Action Centre & Anor. v Government of Nigeria (affirming the justifiability of economic, social and cultural rights, including the right to adequate housing).
He is the author of several publications, including A Place to Live, Stones of Hope – How African Activists Reclaim Human Rights to Challenge Global Poverty (ed. Harvard Professor Lucie E. White & Jeremy Perelman) (Standford University Press, 2010). And currently, Morka is the National Publicity Secretary, NPS, of the APC.
From the excitement in his voice this morning, even if my Oga is not having any exaggerated sense of his importance, pursuant to the above achievements, I can say with authority, that he is extremely elated with the feat of Dr. Naomi, his first daughter and the most senior child. And I say, this is a Father’s felicity in the feat of his female fledging.
Hip hip hip, Hooray!
Ibrahim is the director, publicity for the APC.