While other tertiary health institutions in Nigeria are breaking new grounds in research and medical advancement, top medics at the Federal Teaching Hospital, Abakaliki (FETHA), Ebonyi State, are totally distracted by a power tussle over who replaces Dr Olisaemeka Ezeonu as the Chief Medical Director (CMD).
The tussle is fast assuming alarming proportions as one of the top contenders was recently kidnapped while others claim to have received death threats even as petitions alleging foul play, forgeries, bribery and high-handedness attend the purported choice of a consultant paediatrician, Dr Emeka Onwe-Ogah, as the CMD.
The situation is compounded by suspicions that Dr Onwe-Ogah may not have been appointed the CMD and may just be an impostor as both the administrative section of the hospital and other top officers claim not to have sighted any official correspondence naming him the CMD. His appointment letter is supposed to emanate from the office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation and bear the signature of the president.
The barely concealed in-fighting at the hospital over succession kicked off close to the end of Dr Ezeonu’s tenure in April 2015, but blew into the open after an advertisement on the March 12, 2015 issue of the Hallmark Newspaper calling for applications from candidates interested in becoming the CMD of the hospital. The advertisement specified that the prospects “must have been consultants for a minimum of five years.”
In all, thirteen top consultants were shortlisted for further screening for the position. They included Drs Michael Nwegbu, Nnachi Otu, Nnachi Egwu, Benson Onyire, Chinedu Nwigwe, Azubuike Onyebuchi, Emeka Onwe-Ogah, Ugochukwu Nnadozie, Uzoma Agwu, Francis Ibiam, Clifford Okike, Akuma Umezuruike and Johnson Obuna. After series of tests, including one on current affairs, two of the medics, Drs, Onwe-Ogah and Nnadozie, were recommended in a letter dated April 28, 2015, addressed to the Minister for Health and signed by the Chairman, Board of Management of FETHA, Alhaji Suleiman Abdullahi Dawakin Kudu.
The erstwhile CMD, Dr Ezeonu, was said to have handed over to Dr Onwe-Ogah as acting CMD when he vacated the seat by the end of April this year after two tenures of eight years and rumours had it that a top ranking indigene of the state persuaded former President Goodluck Jonathan to ratify the appointment of Onwe-Ogah as CMD on the eve of his hand over to President Mohammadu Buhari.
However, none of his colleagues or top administrative officers of the hospital sighted the letter of appointment even as petitions have been widely circulated alleging that he forged three key documents in order to qualify for the position. There are also insinuations that the examination
questions were leaked to him, particularly the ‘current affairs’ test where the medics were required to supply the names of the sole female presidential candidate in the last general elections and the current director-general of the World Health Organization.
Documents attached to the petitions showed two letters of appointment with different dates, two confirmation letters, also with different dates, and a certificate issued to him by the West African College of Physicians even before his final examinations at the College.
A letter from the West African College of Physicians (WACP), signed by the Secretary General, Dr Bernard Nkum and dated April 9, 2011 had informed Onwe-Ogah that he passed his final examinations in the Faculty of Paediatrics. The letter read, “after due certification of the corrections made in your dissertation that was examined at the 10th -13th April 2010 PART II (Final) Fellowship Examination of Faculty of Paediatrics of the West African College of Physicians, I am pleased to inform you that you have satisfied the examiners.”
The letter pointed out that he was not entitled to the use of the letters FWACP after his name or eligible for appointment as a consultant until formal admission and swearing in at the Annual General and Scientific Meeting which held on 6th to 11th November, 2011 in the Gambia.
However, a certificate from the WACP purportedly tendered by Onwe-Ogah during the application for the post of CMD was dated November 9, 2010 and so preceded the correspondence from the College informing him of his success and which was dated April 9, 2011.
Also, documents accompanying the petitions showed an offer of a ‘temporary appointment’ as a ‘Consultant Paediatrics’ with effect from July 1, 2010 and another such offer which took effect from April 16, 2010 and both letters were signed by one Chief C.C. Ogbu, the Assistant Director of Administration at the hospital. Each of the two duly signed letters had it that he was on probation for two years. However, the Staff Nominal Roll of the hospital as at June 1, 2010 registered Onwe-Ogah as a Senior Registrar and as staff number 73.
Furthermore, two confirmation letters are also being bandied around. One of them, titled, ‘Confirmation of Appointment’ with a date of September 20, 2012, confirmed Onwe-Ogah as ‘Consultant Paediatrician’ with effect from April 16, 2012 and was also signed by Chief C.C. Ogbu. The second letter confirming the same medic as a consultant paediatrician was issued on May 20, 2014 and said his confirmation took effect from July 1, 2012 and was signed by the same C.C.Ogbu, but who had been named Acting Director, Administration.
His fellow contestants for the position are crying foul and insisting that he forged a letter of temporary appointment, a confirmation of appointment and a certificate of the West African College of Physician all in a bid to qualify for the position of CMD and to prove that he had been a consultant for five years as specified in the advertisement.
Meanwhile, the tertiary hospital is embroiled in crisis as top medics take sides and petitions are fired off to several quarters including to the Inspector-General of Police, the Public Complaints Commission, the Permanent Secretary Federal Ministry of Health, the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria and the West African College of Physicians to mention a few. Working hours are often used to swap the latest gossip on the issue on social networks among workers.
This reporter sighted a letter from the Public Complaints Commission, Ebonyi State, signed by one Obasi Emmanuel for the Commissioner, dated July 10, 2015 and addressed to Onwe-Ogah asking him to reply to allegations of forgery leveled against him by one Dr Timothy Daniel. Dr Onwe-Ogah was given 30 days from the receipt of the letter to provide satisfactory answers to the questions raised.
Also recently, some of the doctors who contested for the position allege receiving death threats and one of them, a notable gyneacologist was kidnapped recently. The state broadcasting corporation radio carried news of the kidnap and his lucky escape from the kidnappers recently but declined to name him for security reasons.
There is palpable fear among leading doctors in the hospital as fatal sabotages are likely even as some vocal members of the medical community move with security guards while claiming that all efforts to get a fair hearing keep failing as juicy bribes are offered to block attempts at a probe of circumstances surrounding the choice of Onwe-Ogah as CMD.
It is also feared that the circumstances surrounding the appointment of the new CMD may make him a vulnerable tool in the hands of a cabal bent on siphoning money from the hospital said to be among tertiary health institutions that receive huge allocations from the federal government. It will be recalled that a health minister in the recent past, Dr Onyebuchi Chukwu, was a one-time CMD of the hospital and handed over the position to Dr Ezeonu.

Money is the root of all evil indeed.

Politics everywhere

I don't have time to read about Abakaliki politics! In as much abakaliki person is involve, no matter how qualify those nnachis and ibaims will be they will not smell that post!

hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm. can these possibly be true?

Hmmm....FETHA in d news for the wrong reason.. chai....

Interesting news indeed!!! I wish 2 say it's a propaganda 2 pull the present CMD down but again anytin is possible............... Politics has entered in2 every sector in this country........ but why did it take them this long after 3 -4 mnths of confirming his appointment? Anywy lets hope the sopozed CMD wil debunk the news

Olivers2J:
Interesting news indeed!!! I wish 2 say it's a propaganda 2 pull the present CMD down but again anytin is possible............... Politics has entered in2 every sector in this country........ but why did it take them this long after 3 -4 mnths of confirming his appointment? Anywy lets hope the sopozed CMD wil debunk the news

debunking the news doesn't necessarily mean it's not true...... As a part of the medical community in FTHA, I can confirm some of the news. Though some of it is overblown propaganda.

I am still asking whether these things could possibly be true..

@Olrotimi........... what are u guys doing abt it? Justice shld prevail but again we are in Nigeria wher anything is possible

Power tussle every where. Unfortunately this is happening in my state teaching hospital(FETHA ). Relevant authorities should do the needful before it's too late. What happened at FMC, Owo comes to mind...

if na me be this cmd fellow, i for don reach court since, abi the allegations happen? them don dey catch bloggers!

Olivers2J:
@Olrotimi........... what are u guys doing abt it? Justice shld prevail but again we are in Nigeria wher anything is possible

we're doing what we think is safe to do. In a tense environment like this and in the medical world where your career could be blighted just by an over zealous act, it's wiser to thread cautiously.
Oliver2j, do you work in ebonyi?