Investigate Prof. Musa Olomu Over Alleged Illegal Recruitment At FMC, Abeokuta - Group Writes Reps

By Modinat Aliyu

Prof.  Musa-Olomu

The House of Representatives ad-hoc committee probing the alleged job racketeering and gross mismanagement in federal ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) has been told to beam its searchlight on the allegation of job racketeering in the Federal Medical center, Abeokuta.

A non governmental organisation and human right group, National Conscience Awareness, (NACA) in a statement also urges the House of Representatives ad hoc committee to invite the Medical Director of Federal Medical Center,  Abeokuta,  Prof Adewale Musa Olomu and othees to explain their roles in the illegal recruitment of staff carried out between 2021 and 2022.

The group in a statement signed by the National Coordinator of the group, Chief Kunle Adebakin said the House of Representatives need to look into the alleged illegal recruitment and promotion that was carried out by the FMC a few years ago without the approval of the Board of the Center.

It could be recalled that some staff of the Center had petitioned the Board of FMC on the alleged illegal recruitment , with various newsmedia reporting the crisis that followed the exercise.

The media reported that the Centre committed an infraction in its December 2021/January 2022 promotion exercise and illegal recruitment of personnel.

The former Board Chairman of FMC,  Abeokuta, Dr AbdulAziz Mahuta had said that the recruitment "was done without the knowledge and approval of the Board. 'We did not authorize anybody to conduct such an exercise, so it was illegal.

"When the Board met, we challenged those who authorized such an exercise, and set up a Hospital Management Committee to look at those who wrote the petition, sit down with them and see what are their grievances. 

He said further that "It is their right to write petition anonymously, there is a document from the office of the Head of Service of Federation to that effect. Nobody is querying them for writing an anonymous petition, but what we want to know is what are their grievances. If it is a thing we can handle within the Board, we will do it.

"We never authorised the whole process. 

In the Statement signed by National Conscience Awareness, the Coordinator noted that Prof Olomu employed many staff illegally without advertisement, nor obtaining waivers as a means to carry out indoor recruitment without public notice.

The group said that though the committee had written the management of the FMC through a circular no NASS/HR./Ad. Hoc/10/2023/200, dated 20th July,  2023 and addressed to the Medical Director. 

"The circular stated l, 

"You may wish to note that the House of/Representatives at its sitting on Wedaesday

1st July, 2023, deliberated on the above motion, constituted and rnandated this Ad-hoc Committee to investigate Federal Ministries, Depariuients and Agencies (MDAS)

Parastatals and Tertiary Institutions on mis management  of personnel recruitment,

employment racketeering and gross management  of the Integrated Payroll and

Personnel Information System (IPPIS) (HR.19/07/2023).

"In view of the foregoing and Pursuant to Sections 62, 88 And 89 of the

Constitution of the Federal! Republic  of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended ) as well as the

House Standing Order 18A, Rule 9, the Committee resolved  that you furnish it with comprehensive information  on the recruitment , replacement conducted  or being

conducted by your Hospital covering periods between 2015 to date.

Your Submission should indicate the following:-

ALL records of waivers and approvals granted between 2015 to date;

ALL list of staff recruited between 2015 to date, their State and Local

Govermmert of origin;

ALL Normal Rol! as at 3/December, 2015 to date;

ALL Report on Recruitment Exercise conducted  between 2015 to date;

ALL list of successful candidates and criteria adopted for qualification;

ALL details of waivers granted by the Federal Character Commission for

Recruitment /Replacement Exercise conducted or being conducted, reasons

and the criteria for such waivers"

"We all know that recruitment without advertisement or Board approval contravened extant laws.

"We will be extremely happy if your committee can also invites Prof Olomu for questioning to unravel the rationale behind the illegal recruitment. 

"Recently,  a report by an investigative journalist jas exposed the rots in the job recruitment and placement. 

"Ignoring PSR guidelines on the recruitment of staff at the FMC, including advertisement in national newspapers and rigorous screening processes, Musa-olomu allegedly employed over 2,000 people. 

But poor manpower planning resulted in employed staff members lacking office space and work tools.

"Many of the recruitments, Musa-Olomu either gave administrative staff verbal instructions to employ or wrote on note pads that appointment letters should be issued. 

"It was also gathered that some union leaders and officials from supervisory bodies, including the Ministry of Health, were offered employment quotas in order to allow the Medical Director’s unprofessional conduct.

“Medical Directors are required to get approval for recruitments; it is called personnel budget and planning. If it is approved, then you recruit. The people who should have been involved in doing this are also involved in giving him people to employ,” a staff member said.

"Citing an example of alleged inducement of union members by Musa-olomu, a staff member said the FMCA Chapter of the Medical and Dental Consultants Association of Nigeria (MDCAN) did not object to the Medical Director’s unethical conducts because its Chairperson, Sara Ibiyemi, benefited from the illegal recruitment when her husband, Olusola Ibiyemi, was employed as a Visiting Consultant Community Dentist in October 2019. FIJ asked Dr Ibiyemi for comments but she declined, insisting she would not speak over the phone. 

APPOINTMENT BY NOTEPAD! AND SUDDENLY.

In November 2020, using a notepad, Musa-olomu notified the Head of Department of Surgery to “kindly accommodate” Dr Tiamiyu, a newly-employed consultant neurosurgeon, because “the establishment officer is not around to give him his letter”.

 “Pls he (Dr Tiamiyyu) is starting today,” he wrote.

“Whether he was on the seat or not, it is not a reason to use a notepad to employ somebody. It is the high point of reckless employment. The system some of us went through to get government jobs was rigorous,” the staff member said.

BRIBE-FOR-JOB SCANDAL

"Employment at the hospital under the watch of Musa-olomu was for the highest bidder; the federal character principle was jettisoned and many applicants were not scrutinised before their employment. Appointment letters also carried irregular signatures. 

A committee set up by the Medical Director to investigate how some medical officers secured employment at the centre found five staff responsible for operating a cash-for-job operation. They are Onyenucheya Daniel, Taiwo Toheed, one Adefiwitan, Atanda Jelili and Kujore Abiodun.

"Prof. Musa-Solomon created the panel because he suspected that some persons who opposed his administration were responsible for the strange names he saw on the employment list.

Investigations revealed that some members of staff working at the office of the Medical Director colluded with other personnel to illegally profit from the recruitment process. 

In one instance, the committee found that Abiodun, a principal executive officer who works at the office of establishment saddled with the responsibility of issuing employment letters, received N200,000 through Toheed, from Daniel, a medical officer who was paid N700,000 by two candidates for jobs at FMC. 

Personnel assigned to Musa-olomu’s office would add names of candidates who had bribed them on employment lists for the Medical Director’s signature. 

“Sometimes, the Medical Director will just issue a verbal directive to go and employ, and thereafter such names will be compiled in sheets of paper for MD’s signature,” Jelili, admin officer at the Medical Director’s office who was accused of receiving between N70,000 and N80,000 from Abiodun in one of the illegal deals, told the probe panel.

It was also found that application letters of at least two applicants were written by Daniel and passed to other members of the syndicate. The, who was employed as a medical officer at the hospital after his father visited Musa-olomu, acted as a middleman for the syndicate.

While some indicted persons were recommended to be issued letters of warning, it was advised that others should be deployed to departments where they would not interface with persons seeking employment.   

“When the committee’s findings indicated the MD’s boys, he became unwilling to implement their recommendations until the hospital’s Board Chairman intervened,” one staff member said.