The leadership crisis rocking the Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospital, OAUTH has assumed another dimension as the Joint Action Committee of Unions of of the Teaching Hospital warned against what they tagged “planned imposition of Acting Chief Medical Director”.
The Joint Action Committee of the unions comprises of the Senior Staff Association of University Teaching Hospital Research Institutes and Associated Institutions (SSAUTHRIAI), Non-Academic Staff Union (NASU), Nigerian Union of Allied Health Professionals (NUAHP), Medical & Health Workers Union of Nigeria (MHWUN) and National Association of Nigerian Nurses and Midwives (NANNM.
Presenting the position paper signed by the leaders of ten Labour Unions in the hospital to newsmen in in Ile-Ife, the spokesperson of the JAC, Comrade Lateef Adeyemi urged the federal government to Implement the recommendations of Hospital’s Board of Management in appointing a substantive Chief Medical Director for the hospital.
Comrade Adeyemi announced that the recommendation of the Board was the appointment of Professor Afolabi Owojuyigbe as the acting CMD who is to hand over to Dr Adekunle Adeyemo.
The Unions which maintained that there was peace in the hospital complex alleged that the uneasy calm was being promoted by the Medical and Dental Consultant Association of Nigeria, MDCAN in its attempt to impose one of it’s members, Professor Oladiran Adegbehingbe.
“We do not know the grouse of MDCAN in fomenting troubles in the hospital as if it is the only professional association that has monopoly of wisdom, in as much any issue does not go it ways, MDCAN will be calling bluff of everyone and other Unions”.
They urged Federal Ministry of Health to forward the recommendation of the Board of Management to the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria for the appointment of a substantive Chief Medical Director noting that it will put a stop to the leadership crisis.
It had been earlier reported that there was uneasy calm in the hospital with respect to who is the acting Chief Medical Director among some senior medical personnel of the institution laying claim to the office, including Professor Oladiran Adegbehingbe who reportedly got a letter from the Federal Ministry of Health dated 22th of June, 2023 and signed by Director of Human resources, Hasaan Salahu and Professor Afolabi Owojuyigbe who also retuned to the hospital on Friday with a letter dated 27th of June, signed by the permanent Secretary Adebiyi Olufunso, directing him to act and stabilize the institution before handing over to Dr Adekunle Adeyemo who was directed to take over as the acting Chief Medical Director by 7th of July.
BACKGROUND
There is uneasy calm at the Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospital, Ile-Ife, Osun State, following appointment of two persons as acting Chief Medical Directors for the hospital within one week.
Sources in the hospital said Prof. Oladiran Adegbehingbe, was made the new acting CMD of the hospital in a letter dated 22nd of June, 2023, signed by Hassan Sallahu, Director Human Resources on behalf of the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Health.
Professor Adegbehingbe, was said to have assumed duty immediately he got the letter and was even at the Ministry of Health in Abuja on Monday where he was introduced to the officials.
The letter appointing Professor Adegbehingbe as acting CMD further read, “I am directed to convey the approval of the Permanent Secretary for your appointment as Acting Chief Medical Director, Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospital, Ile-Ife, with effect from Tuesday, 20th June, 2023.
“The appointment is for a period of six (6) months within which all processes for the appointment of a substantive Chief Medical Director (CMD) would be initiated and concluded by the Ministry.
“Similarly, and in the spirit of the agreement reached between you and the Medical and Dental Consultants Association of Nigeria (MDCAN and other Unions of the Hospital, you are exempted from participating in the race for the appointment of a substantive Chief Medical Director.”
But on Friday, Prof. Afolabi Owojuyigbe, who succeeded the last substantive CMD of the hospital, Prof Victor Adetiloye, returned to the hospital, with another letter dated 27th June, 2023, which addressed him as the Acting CMD written by the Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Health, Adebiyi Olufunso.
The letter directs Professor Owojuyigbe to stabilize the hospital and hand over its management to Dr Adekunle Adeyemo, who was directed to take over in acting capacity on or before Friday July 7, 2023.
It further read, ” I have approved the appointment of Dr. Adeyemo Adekunle, the Deputy Chairman Medical Advisory Committee (DCMAC) of the Hospital as Acting Chief Medical Director who will be in this capacity for a maximum period of six months, in line with Public Service Rules.
“You are therefore directed to handover the affairs of the hospital on or before Friday, 7th July, 2023 to the DCMAC OAUTHC, Ile-Ife.”
A consultant in the hospital, who revealed the letters and spoke to our correspondent in confidence on Saturday said the tension generated by the presence of three personnel having appointment letters as CMD was already having negative toll on the services in the hospital.
“OAUTH is already in a chaotic situation presently. We have three CMDs presently and curiously, two of them were appointed in the last 7 days by the PS Ministry of Health. Something urgent must be done because the tension is on the rise presently,” the Consultant said.
Efforts to get reaction from the management of the hospital failed, as calls to its Public Relations Officer, Mrs Kemi Fasooto, rang out and she has not replied to messages sent to her on the matter as of the time of filing this report on Sunday.
