NAUTH CMD appointment sparks controversy

A week after a lawyer, Chuka Obele, threatened legal action if Dr Igwegbe failed to produce documents authenticating his headship of the hospital in seven days, officials at NAUTH against his headship accused him of conniving with senior federal health ministry officials to impose himself as CMD.“Once he shows that the president approved his appointment, […]

A week after a lawyer, Chuka Obele, threatened legal action if Dr Igwegbe failed to produce documents authenticating his headship of the hospital in seven days, officials at NAUTH against his headship accused him of conniving with senior federal health ministry officials to impose himself as CMD.
“Once he shows that the president approved his appointment, then opposition to his posturing as CMD will end,” said an official, pleading anonymity.
Before he became CMD, Igwegbe was deputy chairman of the medical advisory committee at NAUTH, and then succeeded former CMD Robinson Ofielu.
At least six consultants-including Igbwegbe, Dr Celestine Ogujiefor and Dr Obi Nwosu-took part in selection procedure after the position of CMD was advertised as vacant in January.
Sources said Igwegbe placed third, after Oguejifor and Nwosu in a secret ballot conducted by Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria-and the result sent to the health ministry, which supervises teaching hospitals.
They also claim the ministry conducted fresh interview for the six candidates but did not formally name a CMD
But NAUTH’s director of administration Benji Chukwuma put out a notice announcing the appointment of  Igwegbe  as CMD by “Mr President Goodluck Jonathan with effect from 25th January 2013.
“If the Presidency approves an appointment which is usually passed through the ministry, it is given wide publicity and it is not a secret undertaking smuggled into the hospital,” claimed an official.
“We believe that President Jonathan selected the top candidate, Dr Oguejiefor but the ministry of health altered the President’s choice and chose  Igwegbe.”
In defence of his appointment, Igwegbe said, “Appointments of CMDs are not done by elections but through the outcome of interviews. Elections were held in the past to fill the position CMD but the ministry introduced a new policy.”
In a circulation memorandum at the hospital, consultant family physician  Dr C.I. Achebe, questions: “If a substantive CMD for NAUTH has been appointed by the Presidency as claimed by some. Who has seen this Presidential appointment letter? What is difficult in pasting a copy of this presidential letter on the notice board of NAUTH to satisfy the doubting Thomases?”