Whats The Situation As Regards The Presidential Order For Your Reinstatement?

A Presidential directive for our reinstatement  was issued in August 2017. It took the Federal Ministry of Health over three months to transmit the directive to the Medical Director. There are several petitions to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission  (EFCC) against Dr Sunday Olotu. His investigation by the EFCC appears to proceed ad infinitum. In the interim the former Public Relations Officer of the Hospital, Mr. Efe Stewart, and the Head of Administration of the hospital, Princess Oriri Akenzua, denied knowledge of the receipt of the directive for my reinstatement and 10 others which was erroneously written as “Dr. A.O Lawan and 10 others” in the print and electronic media. The bewildering scenario and the exacerbation of our misery   following the brazing denial of such a directive, caught the attention of the Edo State Commissioner of Police Mr. Babatunde Johnson Kokumo, who wrote to the Minister of Health Prof. Isaac Folorunsho Adewole in January 2018, seeking for clarification on the names of those who were beneficiaries of the August 2017 Presidential directive for our immediate reinstatement.  Prof. Adewole is yet to respond to the request of the Edo State Commissioner of Police, thus lending credence to the widely held belief of the conspiracy to lynch Presidential directives for our reinstatement. Another sordid twist was added as part of the plot to “lynch” the presidential directives. Dr. Olotu allegedly having found that the typographical error/ambiguity theory was no longer gaining traction as a reason for non release of the letters of reinstatement, then began to cite cases we instituted challenging our illegal suspension/sack as the next reason for his inability to obey the Presidential directives. For the records, as a mark of respect for the then Acting President Professor Yemi Osinbajo, who issued the directive for our immediate reinstatement we informed our counsel to withdraw the cases. The case at the Industrial Court, Akure was promptly withdrawn and the notice of discontinuance was sent to the Vice President, Minister of Health, Head of Service of the Federation, Permanent Secretary Federal Ministry of Health, Head of Department Human Resources Federal Ministry of Health and the Head Legal Unit Federal Ministry of Health. It is unfortunate that Dr. Olotu could treat the directive from the then Acting President with contempt and disdain. His tenure expired in March 2016; and he thereafter was issued a letter as Acting Medical Director by Dr. Osagie Ehanire the Minister of State for Health, till June 2017 when his tenure was renewed by the Acting President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo.

IS THE PRESIDENCY AWARE OF ALL THESE?

The Presidency has been informed of our plight but yet our condition remains in status thus making our situation akin to a scenario were the tail is wagging the dog. The chronic crisis rocking the hospital arose from a failed attempt by the Immediate Past Medical Director, Dr. (Mrs) Olabisi Feyisayo Ihenyen to cover up sleaze committed by her in concert with the Immediate Past defunct Board of Management of the hospital chaired by Dr.(Mrs) Abieyuwa Patricia Osemwenkha.

 Following several petitions from some individuals and unions in the hospital bordering on acts of corruption, gross impunity and administrative malfeasance a panel was set up to address the crisis rocking the facility by the then Minister of Health, Prof. Onyebuchi Christian Chukwu in December 2011.The panel chaired by Rabi Adamu indicted Dr. Olotu for absconding from his duty post and collecting salary for several months during the period of his abscondment. The panel recommended his disqualification from the race for the post of Medical Director of the hospital because he absconded from his duty post for several months without approval on which account the panel recommended his dismissal from service.

WAS THERE ANYTIME YOU RECEIVED A QUERY FOR MISCONDUCT THAT MUST HAVE RESULTED IN THE PUNITIVE MEASURES AGAINST YOU?

I did not receive any query neither did I appear before any disciplinary panel or the Board of Management before I was illegally “sacked”. Some of my co travellers have a similar story. As an afterthought some of us were framed on phantom criminal charges by Dr.  Olotu and his cronies. We have since been discharged and acquitted by the courts.

HAS THE SERVING MINISTER OF HEALTH OF HEALTH, PROF. ISAAC ADEWOLE VISITED THE FACILITY TO ASCERTAIN THE CRISIS?

To the best of my knowledge no. We are however informed that in June 2017, Prof. Adewole while on an official visit to Benin was asked by journalists why he did not include a visit to the facility as part of his itinerary. He is alleged to have claimed ignorance of the crisis rocking the hospital during the visit.