Yvonne Uwadae Reporting
Professor Reuben Agbons Eifediyi has refuted the claim by a certain group that the acting Chief Medical Director of the Federal government-owned Irrua Specially Hospital in Edo State, South-South Nigeria, has instituted an ethnic colouration in the shortlisting of candidates for the Chief Medical Director (CMD).
While denying the allegation, Prof Eifediyi, who had been the most senior doctor in an administrative position and the Chairman Medical Advisory Committee as well as the Deputy Chief Medical Director, opined that the allegations were petty and of no substance, asserting that he came to in the examination conducted and declared that the results are there for everyone to see.
During an interview with Truth Live News on Wednesday, Eifediyi, who said he passed the examination more than anyone said he was. confident the right thing will be done. However, he was aware of the clandestine moves by a certain Mojeed Momoh to upturn the results after failing in his attempt to manipulate the outcome of the process used to select the next CMD.
Recall that Truth Live News published a story on Wednesday where the Edo North League group accused Prof Eifediyi of playing the ethnic card. But according to our investigation and after speaking to some staff of the hospital, it was Momoh who cried of ethnic bias and actually tried to force his way into the position. One staff mentioned that he was rarely seen at the hospital delivering services.
The senior midwife, who pleaded for anonymity, said: “Some of us were surprised at the desperate moves of Dr Momoh, who we don’t see here delivering service or attending duties; we know he is Chevron where he works as a contract staff, so one would’ve thought that he would focus on his duties at Chevron instead coming here to cause confusion and bitterness.”
Regarding ethnicity, Prof Eifediyi said: “I saw the publication, and I was taken aback. I will give you the performance scores of the exams. In any case, how could anyone accuse us of playing Esan ethnic games at the Irrua Specialist Hospital as if the people of Esan sat and decided that it must be only their people who head the institutions in the land”?
“That is petty, and it lacks substance. Look at the Federal Institute of Construction Technology in Uromi, Esan North-East, we have someone from Edo North (Auchi) as head of the institution, and Esan people don`t have any issues with that, as we see everyone as one, so, how could we now be desperate about Irrua?, Prof asked in amazement.
Another staff as the institution told our correspondent that “if you see the outcome, you will discover how Momoh manipulated the exam, which has raised serious questions and a committee is set up to look into it.”
“He brought in SETRACO MD, Ini Umoru, who wanted to use all means to force Momoh on us and thank God that he did not succeed, the young Medical Doctor said”.
Another stakeholder in the hospital who identified himself as “Dr Kay” alluded to the fact that the chairman of Setraco sponsored him in their attempt to make Edo north people dominate all the Federal Institutions in Esan Land at the expense of Esan Professors and Professionals. This is unfair, and we will not allow it.
Our investigations revealed that Prof Eufediyi was deliberately marked down. Momoh was given the maximum scores in PSR and general paper to enable him to be ahead of the Acting CMD.
Prof scored the highest in all aspects of the exams except PSR and general paper. On academic qualifications and administrative experience, Momoh was given a higher mark of 8, when we had Reuben Eifediyi, the only Professor, Acting CMD, CMAC and Deputy CMD for 4 years.
According to Prof Reuben Eifediyi, “Records have it that the last administrative experience Momoh had was in 2006 to 2007 when my institution was just a general hospital with 16 specialist doctors”.
In his words: “Today we have 160 consultants, specialists, and 250 junior doctors.
“Dr Momoh, who is said to have been a contestant for the position since 2005, is hardly around to give services. In fact, he is more of a chevron staff than our hospital, another female nurse who said she had been a hospital staff since inception narrated.
Our correspondent gathered that Aspirants are however currently awaiting the decision of the president who has the power to appoint the CMD of the institution through the federal ministry of health.