Olufemi Atoyebi, Ibadan

The Ibadan zonal office of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on Monday quizzed the Acting Medical Director, Federal Medical Centre, Owo, Dr. Liasu Ahmed, on the allegation of mismanaging funds allocated to the institution by the Federal Government.

Ahmed arrived at the anti-graft agency’s office around 9.48am with four other officials of the medical centre in a convoy of three vehicles with Federal Government number plates belonging to the centre.

His invitation, it was gathered, followed a petition sent to the commission by the counsel for the Association of Resident Doctors in the institution, Ayenakin and company.

In the petition, Ahmed was alleged to have mismanaged the sum of N214m allegedly meant for the payment of salaries of the hospital workers.

The doctors alleged that the total sum of money released to the centre as salaries for the ARD in October and November, 2016 was N143m while another N51m was released by the Federal Government to the centre for the purpose of executing capital projects.

The petition read in part, “Dr Liasu Adeagbo Ahmed, the Acting Medical Director, fraudulently converted the sum of N214m belonging to the staff of the medical centre between the period of October, November and December 2016 for his personal use and the said sum was misappropriated.

“The sum, especially that of October and November, 2016, was released by the Federal Government to the centre for the purpose of paying salaries of the Association of Residents Doctors, which said sum was not paid them till date but misappropriated for another use entirely and this is criminal. The total sum of money released to the centre as salaries for our clients in October and November is N143m.

“Furthermore, the sum of N51m was released by the FGN to the centre for the purpose of executing capital projects but to our clients amazement, no project was executed neither did the said Acting Medical Director return the money to the Treasury Single Account as there was no evidence.”

As at the time of filing this report, Ahmed was still at the EFCC office in Ibadan.

http://punchng.com/efcc-quizzes-hospital-md-over-alleged-n214m-fraud/.