The acting Chief Medical Director (CMD) of the Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospital, (OAUTH), Dr. Owojuyigbe Olumuyiwa, was reported to have run away from his duty post.
The acting CMD, it was revealed, absconded from his duty post in July 2023 over job racketeering where he was alleged to have employed over 1,973 staff as against the 450 vacancies waiver granted the hospital in 2022 by the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation (OHCSF).
Balogun Tajudeen, the acting Director of Admin has also been suspended for his involvement in the alleged issue, according to the Federal Ministry of Health in a press statement on Sunday by the Director of Information, Patricia Deworitshe.
According to Deworitshe, the Ministry was forced to wade into the issue that created unrest at the institution, which led to the setting up of an investigative panel that exposed the absconding acting CMD and his accomplices.
The Dr. Adereki Azeez of the Ministry’s Hospital Services Department-led investigative panel was set up in August 2023 to unravel the cause(s) of the unrest to address the issues.
Olumuyiwa, who was appointed in acting capacity in March 2023 was found to have flagrantly abused the extant rules and regulations by the investigative panel.
The statement reads in part: “The unrest is attributed to the alleged job racketeering/over employment saga in the establishment, under the former Chief Medical Director, (CMD) Dr. Owojuyigbe Olumuyiwa who employed over 1,973 staff as against the 450 vacancies waiver granted in the 2022 employment by the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation (OHCSF), which is flagrant abuse of extant rules and regulations.
“The hospital conducted the exercise in 2 phases (230&220) after securing approval from the Federal Character Commission not to advertise the posts.
“During the first phase, the hospital recruited 600 instead of 230, and a total of 1,823 staff members were recruited in the second phase instead of 220.
“At the end of the 2 phases, the hospital recruited 2,423 staff instead of 450. As such, 1,973 staff members were recruited more than the approved waiver.
“In August 2023, an investigative panel was set up, led by Dr. Azeez, and the report of the panel states that the former Chief Medical Director, (CMD) Dr. Owojuyigbe Olumuyiwa, was embroiled in over-employment/job racketeering in the establishment, without provision in the personnel budget for over 1,973 workers illegally employed.
“The report further noted that the 450 workers waiver granted to the OAUTH was for the recruitment of clinical staff, but only 55 clinical staff were employed, while others were non-clinical staff.
“The outcome of the recruitment exercise also revealed that OAUTH has a staff strength of 7279 (out of which 3034 were clinical staff and 4245 were non-clinical staff, this translates to a nonclinical staff ratio of approximately 1:1 instead of the recommended 3:1, that is 3 clinical to 1 non-clinical).
“It further stated that many recruited staff were without the requisite academic and professional certificates as well as evidence of National Youth Service Corps Certificates.
“Currently, Dr Owojuyigbe Olumuyiwa who was appointed in acting capacity in March 2023, has absconded from his duty post since July 2023, while his co-culprit Mr. Balogun Tajudeen, who was the Acting Director Admin has been suspended for their involvement in the job racketeering saga.”