- In 2022, the OAUTHC, Ile-Ife, Osun State sought and obtained from the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation (OHCSF) a waiver to recruit a total of Four Hundred and Fifty (450) fresh staff into vacant clinical and non-clinical positions.
The approved waiver was meant to recruit Forty-One (41) non-clinical staff and Four Hundred and Nine (409) clinical staff, into specific cadres.
After securing the approval of the Federal Character Commission (FSS) not to advertise the posts, the then authorities of the Hospital conducted the recruitment exercise in two (2) phases [230 and 220].
- During the first phase, which was meant for only 230 recruits, the then Hospital administrators offered recruitment to over Six Hundred (600) instead and without due process.
Most of the recruitments were in non-clinical posts not provided on the waiver and without valid establishment, need or cash backing.
- During the second phase, instead of Two Hundred and Twenty (220) recruitments, at least One Thousand, Eight Hundred and Twenty-Three (1,823) staff were done.
Thus, at the end of the two phases, those in charge of the recruitment into the Hospital had without interviews milled out over Two Thousand, Four Hundred and Twenty-Three (2,423) letters of employment in various cadres instead of the Four Hundred and Fifty (450) into specific cadres as approved by the Federal Government.
As such, One Thousand, Nine Hundred and Seventy-Three (1,973) were recruited in total.
- A vast majority of those recruited are victims of this industrial-scale illegal recruitment and they are not clinical personnel whose services were not requested nor required.
It is also noteworthy that none of them were interviewed. With the benefit of further screening conducted by the immediate past acting administration, there were no valid applications, no particular posts sort, and no curriculum vitae submitted, many were discovered not to possess the necessary basic qualifications or satisfy the requirements of the National Youth Service.
A considerable number have attested to being either sponsored, recipients of slots, political patronage or secured the posts by payments of huge sums of money.
In some instances, the abuse of the dignity of womanhood and dehumanisation through sexual favours occurred. Some of these facts were hitherto in the public domain.
- Indeed, many were captured and payrolled on the various government financial platforms such as IPPIS and GIFMIS despite the illegal recruitments and this has been detrimental to the capturing, retention, and payment of the critically needed clinical staff for whom the waiver was meant for in the first instance.
- Following incidences of irregularities and infractions in the implementation of the 2022 approved waiver granted to OAUTHC, the Permanent Secretary, of the Federal Ministry of Health & Social Welfare, Abuja (FMoH&SW) constituted a Fact-Finding Team to examine how the 2022 approved waiver of the Hospital was implemented.
The Fact-Finding Team conducted the assignment between 11th & 19th September 2023 at the Hospital Complex. It should be on record that all these illegal recruitments and job racketeering were done before Professor John Okeniyi was appointed as the substantive Chief Medical Director of the Hospital after months of protracted leadership crisis.
- The erstwhile Acting Chief Medical Director, erstwhile Acting Director of Administration and erstwhile Head of Establishment were all found to be culpable and complicit in the manipulation of the recruitment process through deliberate subversion of extant rules and regulations and non-adherence to administrative procedures in the conduct of Government business.
The trio were subsequently suspended by the FMoH&SW over their involvement in illegal recruitment and job racketeering in the implementation of the 2022 approved waiver from the OHCSF.
The act of deliberate wrongdoing was committed by the trio with flagrant disregard for extant rules and regulations guiding recruitment into public service and a lack of respect for constituted authority and norms.
- Consequent upon their suspension, the Permanent Secretary, FMoH&SW directed the Management of the Hospital to convene a Senior Staff Disciplinary Committee to deal with and dispose of all cases of illegal recruitment and job racketeering involving the erstwhile Acting Chief Medical Director, Acting Director of Administration, and the Head of Establishment Department.
The FMoH&SW and the OHCSF were duly represented on the Senior Staff Disciplinary Committee that visited the Hospital Complex for the crucial assignments between Monday 8th & Friday 12th January 2024.
While high-profile cases of illegal recruitment and job racketeering were dealt with and disposed of as appropriate, other sundry matters related to all issues under discourse were appropriately dealt with under the guidance of extant public service regulations by the Senior Staff Disciplinary Committee with recommendations forwarded to the Coordinating Minister of Health & Social Welfare accordingly.
The Management of the Hospital is still awaiting further directives.
- On Tuesday, 2nd January 2024, OAUTHC Management received a letter Ref: SMH.557/SII/124 dated 27th December 2023 on the report of the Fact-Finding Team from the FMoH&SW.
The letter under reference contained specific recommendations which emanated from the report in which the Coordinating Minister of Health & Social Welfare directed the Management to enforce compliance to the waiver granted by cleaning the nominal roll as of 31st December 2021 and ensuring that persons who had been captured and employed under the 2022 waivers (pay-rolled, captured on IPPIS platform or not) should be made to undergo rigorous suitability competency test to determine their suitability in line with the OHCSF 2022 June waiver advise while cadres not captured under waiver should be exited from the services of the Hospital.
- The current Hospital Management is very altruistic and responsible and would continue to act in tandem with the directive and instruction of the supervising Ministry of Health & Social Welfare and also work collaboratively with all stakeholders to ensure that the Hospital continues to deliver quality Healthcare services to the populace among the leagues of Federal Teaching Hospitals (FTHIs) across the country.
We are poised to vigorously facilitate the attainment of set objectives and mission statement of the Hospital in line with the Renewed Hope Agenda of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu with a profound sense of professionalism, inclusiveness, transparency, and accountability.
The Public must realize that OAUTHC Management is in no position to pay, employ or sack erstwhile illegally recruited persons without authorization.
- It is sad that the illegality of the 2022 recruitments and job racketeering perpetrated by a few staff has severally tainted the public image of our highly industrious and patriotic staff, our vibrant Hospital, the Federal Ministry, and the Federal Government.
It is however noteworthy that the illegality has been repeatedly brought to the sufficient notice of the public and the victims (many of whom willfully engaged in the criminality just to secure themselves jobs).
Even after the suspension of officers involved and the sufficient notice granted by the FMOHSW, many have persistently insisted that they are legitimate staff, and this narrative is categorically false.
Unfortunately, they are persisting and getting violent with threats already and continuously meted online to the person of the Coordinating Minister, the Ministry as well as physically to Officers and Staff of the OAUTHC. Indeed, they have circulated leaflets threatening death to Officers, Staff, and patients.
- The Management is not insensible to the protest and unrest occasioned by the mandate to implement the 2022 approved waiver in line with the recommendations and approval of the FMoH&SW.
Nevertheless, we cannot offer non-existent job positions and we all must face reality.
To demonstrate fairness to all victims, and the public, this Administration is willing to offer victims who may have inadvertently paid any amounts to procure screening tests after they were given letters of employment.
The OAUTHC Management shall refund all such verifiable receipted claims of ‘pre-employment’ medical screening expenses. - All members of staff, visitors, patients, clients, and members of the public are advised to maintain decorum and civility as they transact their activities lawfully, within and around the Hospital.
The Management is poised to maintain peace and security in the Hospital. The assistance of all people of influence and law-enforcement agents remains helpful in calming the inflamed situation and we seek all concerned to exercise restraint.
Thank you.
Signed: Management
