LUTH Leadership Tussle: Presidency set to revisit processes leading to appointment of CMD

Disturbed by the avalanche of controversies that have gripped several teaching hospitals in the country, facts have emerged that the nation’s helmsman, President Bola Tinubu, has called for a probe into the activities of the Federal Ministry of Health over how certain decisions were arrived at in respect of appointment of Chief Medical Directors.

In particular, the Presidency has commenced moves to revisit the processes leading to the recent controversial appointment of Prof Wasiu Lanre Adeyemo as the substantive CMD, Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), Idi-Araba, according to authoritative sources.

Tension has been brewing in LUTH since one month ago when the Health Ministry acted on an alleged fraudulent approval letter claimed to have been issued by former President Muhammadu Buhari Administration dated Sunday 28th May, 2023 and signed by the erstwhile Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Mr Boss Mustapha, at a time the official handing over to President Tinubu had already taken place on Friday May 26, 2023.

President Tinubu is said to be livid with anger over a myriads of other controversial actions of the Health Ministry including the recent embarrassing situation at the Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospital (OAUTH) where appointment letters were given to three separate individuals as Ag. CMD.

Of particular concern to The Presidency is unravelling the authenticity of the said approval letter issued and signed on Sunday 28th May from the Office of the then Secretary to the Government of the Federation, giving the impression that something was fishy.

However, when contacted for comments, the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry, Engr Funso Adebiyi simply waved off the allegation saying former President Buhari reserved the right to treat his mail on any day, whether Sunday or Saturday.

The Permanent Secretary spoke at length: “Mr President reserves the right to choose when to treat his mail and whoever he wants and when he wanted it and nobody can question Mr President’s action.

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“They are just looking for problem where there is none. If there is a problem with that date that the letter was written, I can withdraw it and change it to the date you want. But, I cannot change Mr President’s approval. That’s my own.

“There is unbridled desire for power in the health sector and I am already attending to the many crises at the various tertiary hospitals.

“In the case of LUTH, we followed a process, examination was conducted, interviews were held, one person who came first was selected. Three recommendations were made to Mr President and he approved one. When it was finally approved, it was sent to us and we conveyed it. I have no control over it.”

It would be recalled that following the expiration of the tenure of the former LUTH CMD, Prof Chris Bode, two candidates, the current embattled CMD, Prof Wasiu Adeyemo who was as at then the CMAC and Prof Olufemi Fasanmade, a former CMAC in the hospital (and predecessor to Prof Adeyemo) were made to undergo an examination and an interview.

The process was challenged by Prof Fasanmade who promptly forwarded petition to the Presidency and copied the Health Ministry.

In the petition, Prof Fasanmade faulted the selection process, glaring irregularities and the scoring formula which he alleged was masterminded by the immediate past Health Minister, Dr Osagie Ehanire to impose Prof Adeyemo at all cost as CMD.

The main plank of his argument is that the foundational error committed by the now dissolved Governing Board led by Alhaji Sali Bello whose four-year tenure already expired more than six months when it still went ahead to appoint Prof Adeyemo as Ag. CMD and despite the fact that he was not the most Senior Consultant in LUTH.

This, he further said, was what made the Health Ministry rely on the appointment to make decisions that influenced the overall procedure especially awarding undeserved scores which gave Prof Adeyemo the supposed edge.

To that end, Prof Fasanmade has implored President Tinubu to halt the process and investigate reasons for the hurried conveyance of letter of appointment to Prof Adeyemo, despite the fact that four other teaching hospitals; Aliyu Modibbo Teaching Hospital, Yola, Irrua Specialist Teaching Hospital and FETHA Abakaliki, whose interview were conducted same day are yet to have substantive CMDs.

Also interviewed on telephone, the former Board Chairman, Alhaji Sali Bello declined to comment on reasons why the Board stayed put in office almost one year after beyond its statutory four-year tenure, a fact which might have rendered the entire selection process a nullity. “I have no comments”, he said