Fresh indications have emerged that the Federal Government may have ordered a fresh selection process for the appointment of a substantive Chief Medical Director for the Lagos University Teaching Hospital, Idi-Araba, following allegations that the previous process was fraught with irregularities, graft and bribery.
Already, the Presidency has directed the Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) to step into the matter to ascertain the veracity of the allegations and investigate whether the procedure for the appointment of a substantive CMD followed the extant rules or not and the complicity of officers of government.
Accordingly, it was learnt that the ICPC has sent invitations to the embattled CMD, Prof Wasiu Lanre Adeyemo and his co-contender in the contest for the office, Prof Femi Fasanmade to come forward to explain some transactions in their bank accounts on Friday August 11, 2023.
A leaked memo sent by the ICPC to the Federal Ministry of Health last Thursday requested the Ministry to come along with the two contenders, Prof Adeyemo and Prof Fasanmade, to undergo a mandatory fresh process, before any of them can be cleared to have emerged in the appointment process.
Consequent upon the ICPC’s request, the Ministry’s Director of Hospital Services, Dr Andrew Noah, forwarded written memos to both Prof Adeyemo and Prof Fasanmade to comply with the directives on the appointed date.
The memo, which was sighted by our Correspondent read; “In continuation of the screening exercise for candidates shortlisted for appointment as Chief Medical Director, Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), kindly inform the candidates to come to the Commission Headquarters for an Interview to explain some transactions in their accounts on Friday 11 August, 2023 by 12pm.“
The message further read: “Also, they are to come along with printed copies of ALL their Bank statement as earlier requested.”
The latest development was said to have sent panic to the Management and wild jubilation to staffers of the hospital, throwing up high level controversy and uncertainty in the tertiary teaching hospital.
Many have wondered why those who implemented the previous selection process allowed such grave irregularities to mar the outcome of the process.
As a rule, it was learnt, the process leading to the emergence of a substantive CMD, mandates ICPC clearance, ValidViewNetwork reports.
Besides, it was further learnt that the discovered breaches also included the fact that interviews to select CMDs of five other teaching hospitals were conducted same day and it was not only LUTH that was affected so there couldn’t have been any need to hurriedly single out LUTH when other hospitals still have their leadership in acting capacity.
Since the past two months, tension has been brewing in LUTH following the issuance of a letter by the Health Ministry confirming the appointment of Prof Wasiu Lanre Adeyemo as the substantive CMD, a move resisted by key stakeholders in the hospital.
Their grouse is that the Ministry claimed to have acted on a purported approval said 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, contrary to the stark reality that the official handing over to President Tinubu had already taken place on Friday May 26, 2023.
President Tinubu was said to have been livid with anger over 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 in the space of a few weeks and some other federal hospitals where two or more people were appointed CMD in the same institutions.
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 Ag. CMD (based on a hurried recommendation of the Governing Board mid-way into the selection process) and Prof Olufemi Fasanmade, a former Chairman, Medical Advisory Committee (CMAC) in the hospital 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 had 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 costs as CMD.
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This your report is definitely sponsored. It does not help your site reputation (if you have any) and it’s a great disservice to journalism.
Prof. Olufemi Fasanmade has been running from pillar to post all in a bid to discredit the appointment of Prof. Wasiu Adeyemo. You are not the first.
He had been to Daily Independent Newspaper, theeageonline.com and now your site. One cannot understand this desperation for office. Is it really to serve?
If you care to know, Prof. Adeyemo is much more qualified than Prof. Fasanmade. Among other qualifications and certifications, he is a Fellow of Nigeria Academy of Science; which Prof. Fasanmade doesn’t have as of now. Prof. Adeyemo has a PhD from University of Cologne and MPA from University of Lagos. Prof. Fasanmade has none of these. Again, Prof. Adeyemo became a Professor when Fasanmade was an Associate Prof.
So much for qualification.
In your report, you claimed the “latest development was said to have sent panic to the Management and wild jubilation to staffers”. This is nothing but pure conjecture. And it exposes your report as purely induced and paid for. This is a shame. If you had visited LUTH, you would know everyone has moved on except Fasanmade. Staff including those from NSIA-LUTH Cancer Centre where Fasanmade works, have been visiting the new CMD to congratulate him on his appointment.
For someone that is a Pastor, we are surprised he fails to accept the Supremacy of God and that nothing happens without His sanctioning it.
Prof. Adeyemo’s appointment is the making of All-Mighty God and no amount of online petitions and inducement of cash-for-hire journalists will change the will of Gof
Thanks for your contribution. We are happy with the way you presented your points one after the other. We equally believe that nothing whatsoever can change the will of God. Be assured that ValidViewNetwork is a reputable media output that cannot be influenced to promote the interest of any individual or group of individuals. We were not and cannot be influenced monetarily as our drive is beyond pecuniary benefits. ValidViewNetwork does not have any special interest whatsoever in either Prof. Fasanmade or Prof. Adeyemo as the platform acted based on the information available from reliable source (s). The focal point of the publication is the intervention of Government. We can assure you that nothing shall hinder us from celebrating Prof Adeyemo if he is the man for the job. Going forward, we shall assess your alleged conjecture on the feelings of staff in the days ahead using empirical tools. Please feel free to send your opinion on the issues on the appointment of CMD in LUTH to ValidViewNetwork@gmail.com and we shall publish it within 24 hours.
In your report of August 8, 2023 titled: LUTH: Presidency Wades in As ICPC Invites Embattled CMD, Others For Questioning, you stated that Prof Adeyemo and Prof Fasanmade have been invited to Abuja by ICPC to come on Friday, 11th August 2023.
You claimed that Dr. Andrew Noah, Director of Hospital Services at Federal Ministry of Health has written a memo to both of them to comply with the directive. You went ahead to claim your correspondent sighted the memo.
I deliberately waited till today, Friday 11th August 2023, to address this part of your report. As I write, Prof. Adeyemo is conducting a hospital round together with his Management team!
I say to you without any fear of contradiction that there was no memo, and as such, you couldn’t have sighted any, except in your dream and that of your sponsors.
Like I said, everyone in the hospital has moved on and accepted Prof Adeyemo except Prof Fasanmade and few people who are pushing him. My prayer is that he retraces his step and accept the will of God so that they do not push him beyond the cliff.
Prof Adeyemo and his team are busy at work and will not be distracted by rantings of faceless cyber petitioners and sore losers. They are focused on LUTH’s mission to “develop professional skilled and motivated staff to provide excellent services, training and research using appropriate technology”. We expect well-meaning individuals to join them in realising this objective.
I appreciate your asking me to send my “opinion on the issues of appointment of CMD of LUTH” and the promise to “publish it within 24 hours”. I state here that there are no issues as regards the appointment. My objective is not to allow sore losers run away with false narratives unchallenged.