10 OAU unions back reinstated acting CMD

Bola Bamigbola, Osogbo

The Joint Action Committee of Unions, an umbrella group for 10 different staff groups working in Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospital, Ile-Ife, Osun State, on Sunday, declared support for the reinstated acting Chief Medical Director, Professor Afolabi Owojuyigbe.

Recall that PUNCH Healthwise reported that two persons were appointed as acting Chief Medical Directors for the facility within one week.

Confusion as OAUTH gets two CMDs – Healthwise (punchng.com)

Currently, the hospital has two people that were issued letters of appointment as acting CMDs within one week, leading to tension among staff working in the health facility.

According to some of the letters obtained by The PUNCH, Prof. Oladiran Adegbehingbe was made the new acting CMD of the hospital in a letter dated June 22, 2023, signed by Hassan Sallahu, Director of Human Resources, on behalf of the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Health.

Meanwhile, last Friday, Prof. Afolabi Owojuyigbe, who succeeded the last substantive CMD of the hospital, Prof. Adetiloye, was said to have returned to the hospital with another letter dated June 27, 2023, in which he was addressed as the Acting CMD.

The letter was written by the Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Health, Adebiyi Olufunso.

The letter directed Owojuyigbe to stabilise the hospital and hand over its management to Dr. Adekunle Adeyemo, who was directed to take over in an acting capacity on or before Friday, July 7, 2023.

But a press statement obtained in Osogbo, co-signed by representatives of the 10 unions OAUTH, insisted that there was no tension and accused consultants working in the hospital of fomenting trouble to force the appointment of their preferred candidate as CMD.

The unions that signed the press statement include the Senior Staff Association of University Teaching Hospitals; Research Institutes and Associated Institutions; the Non-Academic Staff Union; the Nigerian Union of Allied Health Professionals; the Medical & Health Workers Union of Nigeria; and the National Association of Nigerian Nurses and Midwives.

The statement partly read, “FMOH (Federal Ministry of Health), and other relevant stakeholders thought wisely and reverted Prof. Adegbehingbe’s appointment as Ag. CMD by reinstating Dr Owojuyigbe to do proper handing over of leadership for his Deputy CMAC, Dr. Adekunle Adeyemo within the next seven days as Ag. CMD pending the time a substantive CMD would be appointed.

“We do not know the grouse of MDCAN in fomenting trouble in the hospital as if it is the only professional association that has a monopoly of wisdom. In as much as any issue does not go its way, MDCAN will be calling the bluff of everyone and other Unions.

“We need to restate here that our hospital is not under any tension as being insinuated by some selfish and disgruntled individuals within the hospital. The reinstatement of Dr. A.M. Owojuyigbe had brought hope and smiles to the faces of the majority of the staff members of the hospital.”

The group urged the FMOH to urgently forward the recommendation of the Board of Management of the Teaching Hospital to the President for the appointment of a substantive CMD, to put an end to the leadership crisis.

Meanwhile, following the appointment letters issuance to the two CMDs by the Federal Ministry of Health, the Medical and Dental Consultant Association of Nigeria, OAUTH chapter, has called for a meeting to be held on Monday by its members to deliberate on the situation and take a decision on further steps to be taken.

In a text message sent to our correspondent, the OAUTH MDCAN chairman, Prof. Yomi Okunola, who though, refused to respond to the allegations levelled against the group by the JAC, revealed that the association would deliberate on new developments in the hospital, especially the ambiguous letter that was written by the Permanent Secretary during the meeting.

“We need to determine if it was not influenced externally by the tone and content of the letter,” he added.

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