LAGOS – Tension is brewing in the Lagos University Hospital (LUTH), Idi-Araba, over the alleged surreptitious appointment of the current Ag. Chief Medical Director of the hospital, Prof. Wasiu Lanre Adeyemo as the substantive Chief Executive.
What is sparking confusion in the hospital is the alleged claim that a letter of appointment conveying former President Muhammadu Buhari’s approval to Prof Adeyemo in a substantive capacity is to be despatched today by the Federal Ministry of Health.
The said letter which was hurriedly dated Sunday 28th May, 2023, was not acted upon more than one week after the former President handed over to the new helmsman, President Bola Tinubu.
A copy of the said letter of appointment which is in possession of this newspaper, was issued and signed by the immediate past Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Mr Boss Mustapha and was backdated to take effect from March 24, 2023 for an initial four-year term.
Already, a group under the aegis of Concerned Staff of LUTH, has through their lawyers, The Advocate Law Firm, challenged the process of appointment of the CMD, alleging irregularities and are beginning to spur mass protest.
In its petition to the Federal Ministry of Health, the Law Chamber, whose Principal Partner is Daniel Gbolade Odubitan, accused the former Minister of Health, Dr Osagie Ehanire of masterminding the plot to impose Prof Adeyemo at all costs as the substantive CMD of the hospital.
The concerned staff are insisting that the Health Ministry should put on hold the planned despatch of the appointment letter since the outcome of the selection interview process was not released before the Buhari Administration wound up.
Their argument is that the new Tinubu Administration should halt the process so that the anomalies and irregularities complained about officially since April this year be looked into.
To them part of the irregularities included alleged unfair over-scoring of the marks allotted to a particular candidate in order to impose him as CMD at all cost.
It would be recalled that the current Ag. CMD took over in March this year from the former embattled helmsman, Prof. Chris Bode who had served from 2017 to 2023, the same period when Prof Adeyemo served under him as the Chairman of the Medical Advisory Committee (CMAC).
