LUTH Crisis: Presidency Wades in as ICPC Invites Embattled CMD, Others for Questioning

… Spokesperson describes news as false 

Rebecca Ejifoma 

There are indications that the federal government may have ordered a fresh selection process to appoint a substantive Chief Medical Director for the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), Idi-Araba. 

This development follows investigations which revealed that the previous process was fraught with irregularities, graft and alleged bribery.

Thus, the presidency is said to have directed the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) to unravel the role money played through alleged bribery of major actors of the Federal Ministry of Health and other critical players during the past administration, which did not follow laid-down rules.

The ICPC is said to have sent invitations to LUTH CMD, Prof Wasiu Adeyemo and his co-contender in the contest for the office, Prof Femi Fasanmade. 

In a leaked memo addressed to FMoH last Thursday, the ICPC requested the ministry to come along with the two contenders to undergo a mandatory fresh process before any of them can be cleared to have emerged in the appointment process.

In line with the ICPC’s request, the Ministry’s Director of Hospital Services, Dr Andrew Noah, forwarded written memos to Adeyemo and Fasanmade to comply with the directives on the appointed date.

The memo read in part: “In continuation of the screening exercise for candidates shortlisted for appointment as Chief Medical Director, Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), kindly inform the candidates to come to the Commission Headquarters for an Interview to explain some transactions in their accounts on Friday 11, August 2023 by 12 pm.”

The message further read: “Also, they are to come along with printed copies of all their bank statements as earlier requested.”

The latest development was said to have sent panic to the management and wild jubilation to hospital staffers, throwing up high-level controversy and uncertainty in the tertiary teaching hospital.

Many have wondered why those who implemented the previous selection process allowed such grave irregularities to mar the outcome of the process. 

As a rule, it was learnt the process leading to the emergence of a substantive CMD mandates ICPC clearance.

Besides, it was further learnt that the discovered breaches also included interviews to select CMDs of five other teaching hospitals conducted on the same day.

Reports also have it that not only LUTH 

was affected.

Meanwhile, when THISDAY contacted LUTH spokesperson, Ms O.O. Fakeye, she described the reports making the round as, “False news”.