Workers of the Federal Medical Centre (FMC) Owerri have appealed to the Federal Ministry of Health to send a substantive Medical Director (MD) to them or extend the Interim Management Committee’s Administration as they will never accept Dr Angela Uwakwem back to office.
The Chairman of the Joint Health Sector Union and the Nigerian Union of Allied Health Commission, FMC Owerri, Comrade Clifford Ezeugo stated this during their congress held at the Hospital Premises on Monday.
Comrd. Ezeugo who spoke to our reporter disclosed that they got a reliable information that the Federal Ministry of Health wants to return the embattled MD, Dr Uwakwem to office, stressing that her return, will truncate the existing peace within the staff since the inception of the interim management committee (IMC) led by Prof. Ndubuisi Eke. “No staff wants her leadership back. We are tired of her intimidation and high handedness” he said.
He however wondered why the federal government will decide to sweep all financial misappropriation reports given to them under the carpet, adding that they just got information that Dr Uwakwem has been cleared by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC)
“On what condition was she cleared? Is it overtime that she collected or virement of fund from personnel to capital projects which she admitted? If really she was cleared, then civil service rule is no longer in existence” he lamented.
According to him, the federal ministry of health is conniving with the Suspended MD to frustrate the FMC in other to bring her back. He however said that should they go ahead and transfer, suspend or terminate the appointment of the union leaders in the centre as rumoured, they will not take it light with them.
He therefore advised Imolites to speak out and condemn corruption as the battle is not just between MD and FMC staff, noting that FMC Owerri is the only functional hospital in the state and if they hadn’t begun the battle, the centre would have been privatized.
In her speech, the Chairman of the Medical and Health Workers Union, FMC, Owerri Mrs Andy Ebere Okonkwo regretted that the investigative committee has not given an embracing report to arrest the situation.
She however stressed that the withdrawal of the federal ministry of health’s approval for Promotional and Employment exercise scheduled for last week triggered the anger of the workers. She noted that these exercise were among the terms of reference given to them by the IMC on assumption of office on January 4th 2016.
Mrs Okonkwo further pointed out that the IMC had restored peace and improved staff welfare in the centre. While the challenges according to her are: Allowance arrears of 2013-2014, Nurses uniform allowance, short payment among others.
It would be recalled that the minister of health Isaac Adewole in December 2015 constituted a Five-man Committee to run the affairs of the Centre for six months and thereafter appoint new leadership.
