EFCC CHAIR VOWS SANCTIONS FOR ERRING OFFICERS OVER UYO TEACHING HOSPITAL INCIDENT
Read Time:2 Minute, 51 Second
By Aishat Momoh. O.
The Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ola Olukoyede, has vowed that any operative found to have acted outside established professional standards during an incident involving staff of the University of Uyo Teaching Hospital (UUTH) will face disciplinary action.
The incident, which occurred on May 12, involved armed EFCC operatives allegedly assaulting the Deputy Chairman of the Medical Advisory Committee, Prof. Eyo Ekpe, and four other hospital workers during an operation at the facility.
Following a preliminary review of the incident, Olukoyede directed that an official apology be issued to address concerns raised by the medical community and members of the public.
In a statement posted on the commission’s X handle on Monday, the EFCC chairman expressed regret over the incident, describing it as inconsistent with the standards expected of the anti-graft agency.
“While acknowledging that the well-being of Nigerians is at the core of the Commission’s mandate, he expressed regret at the discomfort the unfortunate episode caused staff of the hospital and members of the public,” the statement read.
Olukoyede also ordered a full investigation into the matter and assured that any officer found culpable would face internal disciplinary measures.
“Once the exercise is completed, any officer found to have acted outside the acceptable code of professional conduct would be subjected to the internal disciplinary process,” he stated.
He further assured stakeholders that the EFCC would collaborate with relevant bodies to prevent a recurrence of such incidents while maintaining its commitment to combating economic and financial crimes nationwide.
The EFCC chairman also appealed to the Nigerian Medical Association and other professional groups to continue supporting the commission’s anti-corruption efforts.
The controversy followed allegations by Prof. Ekpe, a cardiothoracic surgeon at the hospital, that EFCC operatives harassed and assaulted him and other staff members while attempting to arrest him over an alleged fake medical report.
Speaking at a press conference last Wednesday, Ekpe detailed the confrontation between the operatives and hospital workers.
The Chief Medical Director of UUTH, Prof. Ememabasi Bassey, also confirmed that Ekpe and four other staff members were arrested without prior notice to the hospital management.
Bassey maintained that the medical report at the centre of the controversy was fake and suggested that some insiders within the hospital may have collaborated with outsiders to produce it.
“One of the things we must get to the bottom of is how the lawyer handling the case got the fake medical report. There may be bad eggs within the hospital working with outsiders,” he said.
He criticised the conduct of the operatives, noting that they failed to notify hospital management or present an arrest warrant before proceeding to Ekpe’s office.
“At no point did they come to look for the CMD, the CMAC or the director of administration. They went to his office,” Bassey added.
The Medical and Dental Consultants Association of Nigeria and the Association of Resident Doctors, UUTH chapters, condemned the incident and embarked on industrial action over the alleged assault and arrest.
The associations demanded disciplinary action against the operatives involved, compensation and treatment for injured staff, public apologies in two national newspapers, and repairs to damaged property.
The EFCC chairman’s directive for a probe appears to contrast with an earlier position by the commission, which had stated that its operatives acted professionally and did not disrupt activities at the hospital.
Happy
0 %
Sad
0 %
Excited
0 %
Sleepy
0 %
Angry
0 %
Surprise
0 %
0
0