I was very sorry to hear that Joseph has died. I had lunch with him and Arit, his wife, just a few weeks ago. He was on fine form. My thoughts are with Arit and his family. After his brother died in the Biafran war, Joseph was the head of an extensive family.
Joseph and I met some 35 years ago when he was a GP in Luton and leader of the diaspora of Nigerian doctors in Britain. His heart, I felt, was always in Africa. We launched a West African edition of the BMJ at a time when there were no journals appearing regularly in West Africa.
As a shameful monoglot, I was mightily impressed to learn that Joseph spoke no fewer than six languages: Yoruba, Hausa, Igbo, Efik, English, and the language of his village, which was spoken by only a few hundred people. As a man without faith, I also admired the deep faith of Joseph and Arit.
Together we ran several teaching sessions in Nigeria and Ghana, travelling to Lagos, Calabar, Abuja, Kaduna, Accra, and Kumasi. I remember lots of hugs, laughter, and learning. Those meetings also gave me a taste for Nigerian food, particularly pepper soup.
Joseph was very concerned about the quality of care in Nigeria, particularly after the untimely death of his oldest daughter, and promoted the idea of clinical governance across the country. When he became health commissioner in Cross River State he did much to improve health outcomes, not least the maternal mortality that was appallingly high. He recognised the importance of working with local healers and traditional birth attendants. He also had the courage to take on the Nigerian Medical Association, closing down private hospitals where doctors were operating beyond their competence.
Recognising the fundamental importance of primary care, Joseph promoted the brilliant PACK (Practical Approach to Care Kit) developed by the Knowledge Translation Unit at the University of Cape Town in Nigeria and SubSaharan Africa.
One memory among many of Joseph was visiting with him the Obong of Calabar, the local ruler. I thought it marvellous that a Guy’s trained dentist could ascend to royalty.
I hope very much that the BMJ will publish a full-length obituary of Joseph, and I’ve urged Kamran, the editor, to do so. Perhaps some of the British newspapers will publish obituaries, and I’m sure that Nigerian media will give him wide coverage.
Richard Smith, former editor, BMJ, and chair, Patients Know Best