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The management of Futa Teaching Hospital, Akure, has discovered that job racketeers have been the sponsors of the protests against the health institution in the recent time.
This was contained in a statement signed by Tope Fayehun, the Head, Public Relations Unit of the Teaching Hospital, made available to journalists on Sunday in Akure.
Job racketeers, who had collected graft from unsuspecting job seekers, ranging from N200,000 to N600,000, depending on the grade level, had been discovered to have been misleading the leadership of organised labour to support the protests.
According to the statement, the alleged individuals were said to have continued to push for continuous protest to cover up their shady deals when they were unable to get their victims listed on the payroll of the Teaching Hospital.
The statement reads in parts: “The Management of Futa Teaching Hospital, Akure, has raised serious concern over the recent protests and campaigns aimed at discrediting the institution, alleging that the agitation is being driven, in part, by individuals and interests seeking to cover up their financial malfeasances that had been committed by them in the run up to the the take up of the staff of the now-defunct UNIMED Teaching Hospital, Akure into the new Federal Teaching Hospital, which succeeded the old Hospital.
“The Management has become aware of allegations that certain persons fronting as important officers had collected monies and gratification from job seeker with promises of securing placement in the new Hospital.
“According to information available to the Management, the hapless applicants allegedly paid sums ranging from ₦200,000 to ₦600,000, and were issued with receiving “appointment letters” in the name of the Management of the UNIMED Teaching Hospital, Akure.
“The Management has also received reports that some of affected job-seekers, names withheld, are now demanding refunds from the fraudsters after it was clear that they were not going to be absorbed into the Federal establishment, as they had been promised.
“It is against this backdrop that the Management believes the public deserves to know that the current agitation may not be solely about workers’ welfare but could also be linked to efforts by the fraudsters to cover up or divert attention from these serious allegations.
“The Management wishes to reaffirm that the transition to Futa Teaching Hospital had been governed by the Memorandum of Understanding between the Federal Government and the Ondo State Government.
“The agreement did not provide for the automatic absorption of every individual associated with the former institution. Consequently, the Management could not have circumvented established Federal Government guidelines or compromise due process to satisfy external pressure, which is been mounted remotely by these influential fraudsters.”
Consequently, the management has threatened to approach the anti-graft agencies and taken legal action against the perpetrators if they failed to refund to their victims the money they collected from them.
“The Management wishes to state unequivocally they may have no option but to take appropriate legal action against the faceless fraudsters if they, rather than make things up to their victims, continue to prosecute a proxy war the Hospital.
“The Hospital is prepared to make available relevant information and material in its possession to the appropriate law enforcement and anti-corruption agencies,” the management warned.
Having discovered the discrepancies, “The Management, therefore, urges the leadership of Organised Labour to seriously examine all the facts before lending support to any campaign against the Hospital.
“Labour’s acknowledged noble responsibility is to protect the genuine interests of workers, and not to become an inadvertent instrument for advancing personal or group agendas or covering up their misdeeds.
“The Management calls on members of staff, organised labour, stakeholders and the general public to support truth, transparency and constructive dialogue while allowing the appropriate authorities to investigate any allegations of wrongdoing.”
Therefore, the management reassured that the institution would remain transparent and accountable while building a wold-class hospital.
The statement reads: “Futa Teaching Hospital remains focused on its mandate of building a transparent, accountable and world-class tertiary healthcare institution. No amount of intimidation, misinformation or undue pressure will deter the Management from upholding merit, due process and the rule of law.”
