JOHESU faults report exonerating CMD of Federal Medical Centre

The Joint Health Sector Union (JOHESU) have picked holes in the Federal Ministry of Health’s report, which cleared the Chief Medical Director of (CMD) of Federal Medical Centre (FMC) Owerri, Angela Uwakwem of any wrong doing in the accusations leveled against her.

Some of the allegations earlier raised against Dr. Uwakwem include denial of the 2013 and 2014 promotion arrears that runs into several millions of naira and that she paid herself for spending extra hour at work against the civil service rule, among others.

The issue had thrown the institutions into crisis for months now, with health workers at the hospital drawn in a long battle with the CMD over the allegations of corruption against her.

Following the allegations, the Federal Ministry of Health set up a committee to examine the issues. The panel handed in its report last week, clearing her of the accusations.

But Health workers under the auspices of Joint Health Sector Union (JOHESU) have refused to accept the report of the investigating committee crying foul in the manner the report was submitted.

The Union alleged that there were plans to hide the truth of the matter.

National President of Medical and Health Workers’ Union of Nigeria, Biobelemoye Joy Josaiah, told newsmen in Abuja that the process leading to the report as fraudulent.

He said: “In a report hurriedly written without our input and in desperation to ensure that the matter is swept under the carpet before the resumption of the minister of health who would be coming with the change mantra of Mr President, Dr. Uwakwem was exonerated from any financial misappropriation and corruption. Nothing can be farther than the truth.

“Facts available have it that the medical director is in breach of public service rule 030301, 030402, 100230. 030404 which borders on misconduct and serious misconduct and financial regulation S.316 (ii) which deals with virement from one head in the recurrent expenditure to another head of account in the capital expenditure being prohibited amongst other infractions details of which are contained in our minority report and our previous correspondences to the head of civil service of the federation.”

He explained that: “You recall that a fact finding committee was set up to look into the matters in Owerri and a presentation was made. Just after then, a matter we thought will be for internal implementation and discussion but it was leaked to the media and there was a lot of misinformation.”

He lamented that his Union was sidelined from the submission of the final report, even though its representatives were originally in the Committee.

He went on: “The union was part of the committee. Along the line, there were divergent views and we wrote our minority report.