Federal Government Suspends OAUTH Director Over Job Racketeering; CMD Absconds

The Acting Director of administration, at Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospital (OAUTH), Mr. Balogun Tajudeen, has been suspended by the Federal Government due to his involvement in a job racketeering scandal within the institution. The suspension was announced by Ms. Patricia Deworitshe, the Director of Information at the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare.

In a statement released on Sunday in Abuja, Deworitshe revealed that the former Chief Medical Director (CMD), Dr. Owojuyigbe Olumuyiwa, who assumed the acting CMD role in March, is also implicated in the saga and has been absent from his duty post since July.

The suspension comes in the wake of an alleged job racketeering and over-employment situation at OAUTH during Dr. Olumuyiwa's tenure, where over 1,973 staff were employed against the approved 450 vacancies waiver granted in the 2022 employment by the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation.

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According to Deworitshe, the hospital, under the former CMD, conducted the recruitment exercise in two phases, hiring 600 staff in the first phase instead of the approved 230, and recruiting 1,823 staff in the second phase instead of the approved 220.

"At the end of the two phases, the hospital recruited 2,423 staff instead of 450, resulting in 1,973 staff members being recruited in excess of the approved waiver," she stated.

An investigative panel, led by Dr. Aderemi Azeez of the Hospital Service Department of the ministry, was set up in August. The panel's report revealed Olumuyiwa's involvement in over-employment and job racketeering, with no provision in the personnel budget for the illegally employed 1,973 workers.

The report also highlighted that the 450 workers waiver granted to OAUTH was intended for the recruitment of clinical staff, but only 55 clinical staff were employed, while the majority were non-clinical staff.

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Furthermore, the panel's findings showed that many recruited staff lacked the necessary academic and professional certificates, as well as evidence of National Youth Service Corps certificates.

The suspension aims to address the reported irregularities and restore adherence to rules and regulations within the institution.