The federal government has uncovered the illegal addition of 406 persons to the staff list of the Onitsha General Hospital in Anambra State.
The Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Tunji
Alausa, stated this on Tuesday while appearing before the House of
Representatives Committee on Federal Character probing the alleged padding of
the staff list of the hospital.
He said the discovery was made after the federal government
took over the hospital.
The minister said the management of the hospital embarked on
illegal padding of the staff list shortly after the conversion of the hospital
to an FMC.
The Onitsha General Hospital, initially owned by the Anambra
State Government, was converted to a Federal Medical Center in 2022 after
former President Muhammadu Buhari signed a bill passed by the National
Assembly.
In April 2023, the federal government and Anambra State
Government signed a Memorandum of Understanding on the transfer of the assets
of the hospital to the federal government.
Governor Charles Soludo of Anambra State had initially
handed over the Onitsha General Hospital, Eye Center, Nise and Trauma and
Orthopedic Centre. However, only Onitsha General Hospital was on the National
Assembly Gazette for takeover.
A group had written a petition to the House of
Representatives, alleging illegal recruitment and padding of staff strength of
the hospital.
Speaking on the nominal payroll of the hospital, Mr Alausa
said the Anambra State Government handed over 977 staff to the federal
government in April 2023. He added that the staff comprised the staff of
Onitsha General Hospital, Eye Center, Nise and Trauma and Orthopedic Centre.
The minister said the Eye Center, Nise and Trauma and
Orthopedic Centre were subsequently removed from the assets to be handed over
to the federal government in line with the gazette of the National Assembly. He
stated that the staff list was reduced to 647 staff after the review.
Mr Alausa informed the lawmakers that out of the 647 staff
handed over to the federal government, a verification team discovered that only
241 were employed in 2022, 348 had employment letters issued in 2023, and 58
failed to appear for verification.
He later described the actions of the management of the
hospital as “disturbing and outright shenanigan.”
Mr Alausa maintained that only 241 people recruited before
the end of 2022 are eligible to transit to IPPIS.
“The record of 647 staff was presented to the verification
team out of the 589 staff that were duly verified – 361 clinical and 228
non-clinical. About 58 of them were absent during the verification exercise. Of
the 589 staff, 241 had a date on or before the year 2022 and 348 had their
appointment in 2023.
“There was no back door of recruitment as alleged since all
staff had letters of appointment from Anambra State and one from the federal
government,” he said.
The minister disclosed that the Anambra State Government is
still paying the salaries of the workers in the hospital pending the staff
audit. He said only the 241 verified staff are going to be transferred to the
IPPIS.
“Several letters were issued; they were issued illegally.
Those people with letters issued in April are not part of the verified people.
Every single one on the list had their letters of employment verified.
“The MOU mandated Anambra State to pay salary till the 31st
of December. Right now, the Anambra State Government has continued to pay
salaries. If they stop paying salaries today, there would be problems.
“There were things that were done by the hospitals that were
not right. The list was padded. A lot of shenanigans at the hospital level.”
Responding to the comments made by the minister, a member of
the Committee, Idu Emeka, who represents Onitsha North and South Federal
Constituency, said the hospital has been recruiting personnel even after the
signing of the MOU.
Mr Emeka even presented an employment letter issued by the
hospital after the signing of the MOU.
Reacting to the issue raised, Mr Alausa said the ministry is
aware of the letters, adding that only the 241 staff verified by the government
are confirmed.
The Chairperson of the committee, Ahmed Idris (APC,
Plateau), ruled that the ministry should provide the nominal roll of the
hospital, the salary schedule issued by the bank, and details of all the staff.
Mr Idris directed the Medical Director of the hospital,
Mercy Anugwu, to provide all the documents by Tuesday next week and appear
before the committee again on Wednesday.
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