Wike Orders Probe of Olorunfemi’s Death

Onyebuchi   Ezigbo in  Abuja

The Minister of Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has inaugurated a nine-member investigative panel to unravel the circumstances surrounding the death of Greatness Olorunfemi in Maitama District Hospital.

The panel is headed by Prof. Aminu Mohammed, who is also the President of the Medical and Dental Consultants Association of Nigeria.

The deceased, a victim of ‘one chance’ kidnap gang, was allegedly brought dead to the hospital on Thursday 5th October, 2023 at the emergency unit of the facility.

Wike, who was represented at the inauguration by the Mandate Secretary, Health Services and Environment, Dr. Adedolapo Fasawe, charged the nine-member investigative panel to be thorough, professional, and efficient in the investigation of this incident.

He said members of the Investigative Panel were nominated to help bring to bear their wealth of experience through painstaking investigation and interaction to unravel what led to this ugly incident and proffer ways forward. 

According to him, the panel will play a crucial role in investigating the case and bringing about justice.

“We have explored the legal framework for establishing an independent and investigative panel, the process of appointing and constituting a nine-person panel, and the role and responsibilities of the panel in investigating the alleged death and ensuring accountability.”

According to him, the aim is to gain a comprehensive understanding of the steps involved in addressing such incidents and promoting a culture of transparency and accountability in the Nigerian healthcare system. 

He said that the panel is an independent body with the power to investigate and hold accountable those involved in wrongdoing, adding that the panel should be free from any external influence, ensuring its impartiality and credibility.  

He urged the panel to ensure that they operate within the confines of the law and respect the rights of all parties involved.

“I implore you to take this assignment as a worthy service to our fatherland by being thorough, professional, and efficient in the investigation of this incident. 

“The process of appointing and constituting a 9-person panel to investigate the death of late Ms Greatness Olorunfemi’s death is a crucial step in ensuring transparency and accountability in healthcare systems. 

“This investigation serves multiple purposes, such as providing closure to the patient’s family, identifying any potential malpractice or negligence, and implementing necessary measures to prevent similar incidents in the future.”

Chairman of the panel, Prof. Mohammed, in his remarks said the members would be driven by the oath taken in carrying out the assignment, to be impartial to all parties involved by giving everyone a fair hearing.

“We will be committed to transparency and accountability because we believe this investigation will kick start a process towards efficient health care delivery.

“We will be guided by the oath we just took, we will look into the system and critically analyse the situation and come out with decisions and recommendations based on professional investigation to be carried out on everything and that has anything to do with the situation.

“We will be fair to all, the system, the government, the family and everyone connected to this issue.

“Our report will be evidence based and this will aid us to come out with informed recommendations going forward hoping this will chart how things are done in public service to the Nigerian people.”

 Among the terms of reference for the panel, are to ascertain the clinical status at the time of arrival of the patient and any progression to and until death;

to determine the role of parties in the matter of Ms. Greatness Olorunfemi and her unfortunate death; and to make recommendations for similar situations like this case.

The duration for the investigation and submission of the report is one week.