Punch
In this special report, SAMSON FOLARIN investigates the crisis at the Federal Medical Centre, Abeokuta, Ogun State
A multifaceted corruption scandal is threatening to tear the Federal Medical Centre, Abeokuta, Ogun State, apart. The FMC is one of the South-West most important tertiary health institutions.
At the centre of the raging storm is its Medical Director, Prof. Adewale Musa-Olomu, who was accused of irregularity in date of birth and abuse of office.
The PUNCH gathered that Musa-Olomu took over the reins of leadership of the hospital on June 1, 2017 for a term of four years.
His letter of appointment was issued and signed by a former Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Adewole, who was in charge of the nation’s health sector at the time.
However, the tenure of the medical practitioner was reported to have been fraught with varying allegations.
Aside the controversy around his age, the MD was alleged to have employed his son, Babatunde, and in less than a year of the son’s appointment, he allegedly granted him study leave in a European country, with pay.
Worthy of note is the fact that the board members were divided over the allegations against the MD.
Documents seen by this reporter indicated that within the period that Musa-Olomu was the MD, the hospital’s payroll increased with over 1,700 workers.
The PUNCH also learnt that the hospital bought a refurbished Computerised Tomography (CT) scanner, but at the price of a new one.
The machine, bought with N230m, was said to have developed a fault four months after installation.
Musa-Olomu, who denied the allegations, said the issues were being brought up by his detractors who wanted to deny him a second term in office.
The embattled medical director, who accused the hospital’s board of compromise, said he had proof that those behind his indictment were paid huge sums of money to bring him down.
Age irregularity
The PUNCH reliably gathered that the Abeokuta-South, Ogun State indigene, has two different declarations of age documents.
Information on the official website of the FMC, Abeokuta, where Musa-Olomu’s profile was displayed, showed that he had his residency training in General Surgery at the University College Hospital, Ibadan, Oyo State.
He later joined the services of the Olabisi Onabanjo University Teaching Hospital in 1999.
Records at both hospitals revealed that he was born on January 6, 1960.
In fact, he wrote the date of birth himself on an application form to be a consultant surgeon at OOUTH.
A declaration of age document, dated February 24,1978, sworn to at the High Court of Justice, Abeokuta, Ogun State, and obtained by our correspondent, also confirmed that he was born on that day.
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