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Tension In UCTH Over Appointment Of Director Of Administration, Others
The Cross River State Government representative in the Governing Board of the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital (UCTH), Legal Counsel of concerned staff of the institution and some applicants who applied for the post of Director of Administration in the Institution (UCTH) have petitioned the Chairman of the Governing Board over the appointment of Director of Administration (DA) by Federal Ministry of Health.
The Federal Ministry of Health had in a letter reference SMH/530/T/1/71, dated July 19th 2019, titled ’Re: Director of Administration, University of Calabar Teaching Hospital’ addressed to the Chairman of Governing Council signed by the Permanent Secretary, A. M. Abdullahi had appointed one Barr Eyoma Edetdet Obong as Director of Administration.
Interestingly, the institution in June 29, 2019 advertised for vacancy position of the Director of Administration following the retirement of the incumbent DA, Prof Archibong E. Archibong on September 10, 2019.
Though, the date for the expiration of the six weeks for the advertisement to elapsed, seven persons have already applied, suddenly, the Federal Ministry of Health shot down others from applying and appointed Barr Ededet Eyoma Obong against due process of screening, interview and appointment, our correspondent gathered.
The Board member who represented the Cross River State Government and also the Permanent Secretary in the State Ministry of Health, Dr Joseph A. Bassey petitioned the Board Chairman over the appointment of the DA. The petition dated August 1st 2019 titled Re: ‘Appointment of Director of Administration, University of Calabar Teaching Hospital’ regretted the flagrant abuse of due process by the Federal Ministry of Health.
“I wish to formally protest, in the interest of the Government and people of Cross River State whom I represented in the UCTH Board, against the letter from the Federal Ministry of Health reference SMH 530/T/1/71 of 19th July 2019 on the above subject matter signed by the Permanent Secretary and addressed to you.
“Mr Chairman Sir, I see this letter as a gross violation and complete usurpation of the powers of the legally constituted board of the only federal health institution located in our dear state and a call to anarchy with attendant lack of trust on the management and governing board of this institution which I refuse to be part of nor allow myself to be used to perpetuate injustice and illegality that has the potentiality of snowballing into unimaginable consequences from staff of the institution and interested members of the general public due to abrupt termination of the ongoing due process put in place by the governing board.
“Mr Chairman Sir, the directives that the current DA vacates office immediately and the appointment of a new substantive DA by the federal ministry of health by fiat, without recourse to the institution Governing Board and the University Act/extant rules and circular earlier quoted, is an aberration and a dangerous precedence in the history of the management of University Teaching Hospital in Nigeria.
“I wish to, therefore, call on this Board to toe the path of justice, fairness, equity, respect for due process and transparency in the process of appointment of a new DA that will take over from the incumbent when he finally bows out in a few weeks from now and advise the federal ministry of health against this chosen path of disregard to laws and procedures, conflicting directives,” he stated.
Dr Bassey noted that the institution already had enough issues to contend with, including cases of national consequences currently in court that originated right here in Calabar and “we should not allow ourselves to be dragged into another one,” he pleaded.
Consequently, the concerned staff of the Institution represented by a legal firm, A. B. Cobham and Associates in a petition to the Chairman of the Board dated August 2nd titled ‘Re: Director of Administration, UCTH: A Usurpation and an abuse of power ‘signed by A. B. Cobham regretted the action of the Federal Ministry of Health.
Vice President Kashim Shettima has arrived in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, for an official State visit at the invitation of the Prime Minister, Dr. Abiy Ahmed.
Upon arrival yesterday, Shettima was received at the airport by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ethiopia, Dr. Gedion Timothewos, and other members of the Ethiopian and Nigerian diplomatic corps.
Senior Special Assistant to the Vice President on Media and Communication, Stanley Nkwocha, revealed this in a statement he signed yesterday, titled: “VP Shettima arrives in Ethiopia for official state visit.”
During the visit, Vice President Shettima will participate in the official launch of Ethiopia’s Green Legacy Programme, a flagship environmental initiative.
The programme designed to combat deforestation, enhance biodiversity, and mitigate the adverse effects of climate change targets the planting of 20 billion tree seedlings over a four-year period.
In line with strengthening bilateral ties in agriculture and industrial development, the Vice President will also embark on a strategic tour of key industrial zones and integrated agricultural facilities across selected regions of Ethiopia.
News
RSG Tasks Farmers On N4bn Agric Loan ….As RAAMP Takes Sensitization Campaign To Four LGs In Rivers
The Rivers State Government has called on the people of the state especially farmers to access the ?4billion agricultural loans made available by the State and domiciled in the Bank of Industry.
This is as the State Project Implementation Unit (SPIU) of Rural Access and Agricultural Marketing Project (RAAMP), a World Bank project, took its sensitization campaign to Opobo/Nkoro, Andoni, Port Harcourt City and Obio/Akpor local government areas.
The campaign was aimed at enlightening community dwellers and other stakeholders in the various local government areas on the RAAMP project implementation and programme activities.
The Permanent Secretary, Rivers State Ministry of Agriculture, Mr Maurice Ogolo, said this at Opobo town, Ngo, Port Harcourt City and Rumuodumanya, headquarters of the four local government areas respectively, during the sensitization campaign.
Ogolo said apart from the ?4billion, the government has also made available fertilizers and other farm inputs to farmers in the various local government areas.
The Permanent Secretary who is the Chairman, State Steering Committee for the project, said RAAMP will construct roads that will connect farms to markets to enable farmers and fishermen sell their farms produce and fishes.
He also said rural roads would be constructed to farms and fishing settlements, and warned against any act that will lead to the cancellation of the projects in the four local government areas.
According to him, the World Bank and Federal Government which are the financiers of the programme will not condone such acts like kidnapping, marching ground and other acts inimical to the successful implementation of the projects in their respective areas.
At PHALGA, Ogolo asserted that the city will benefit in the areas of roads and bridge construction.
He noted that RAAMP was thriving in both the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja; Lagos and other states in the country, stressing that the project should also be given the seriousness it deserves in Rivers State.
Speaking at Opobo town, the headquarters of Opobo/Nkoro Local Government Area, the project coordinator, RAAMP, Mr.Joshua Kpakol, said the programme would reduce poverty in the state.
According to him, both fishermen and farmers will maximally benefit from the programme.
At Ngo which is the headquarters of Andoni Local Government Area, Kpakol said roads will be constructed to all remote fishing settlements.
He said Rivers State is lucky to be among the states implementing the project, and stressed the need for the people to embrace it.
Meanwhile, Kpakol said at PHALGA that RAAMP is a project that will transform the lives of farmers, traders and other stakeholders in the area.
He urged the stakeholders to spread the information to their various communities.
However, some of the stakeholders at Opobo town complained about the destruction of their farms by bulls allegedly owed by traditional rulers in the area, as well as incessant stealing of their canoes at waterfronts.
At Ngo, Archbishop Elkanah Hanson, founder of El-Shaddai Church, commended the World Bank and the Federal Government for bringing the projects to Andoni.
He stressed the need for the construction of roads to fishing settlements in the area.
Also, a former Commissioner for Agriculture in the state and Okan Ama of Ekede, HRH King Gad Harry, noted that storage facilities have become necessary for a successful agricultural programme.
Harry also stressed the need for the programme to be made sustainable.
In their separate speeches, the administrators of Andoni and Opobo/Nkoro Local Government Areas, pledged their readiness to support the programme.
At Port Harcourt City, the Administrator, Dr Arthur Kalagbor, represented by the Head of Local Government Administration, Port Harcourt City, Mr Clifford Paul, said the city would support the implementation of the programme in the area.
Also, the administrator of Obio/Akpor Local Government Area, Dr Clifford Ndu Walter, represented by Mr Michael Elenwo, pledged to support the programme in his local government area.
Among dignitaries at the Obio/Akpor stakeholders engagement is the chairman, Rivers State Traditional Rulers Council and paramount ruler of Apara Kingdom, HRM Eze Chike Wodo, amongst others.
John Bibor
President Bola Tinubu has ordered the commencement of personnel audit and skill gap analysis across all cadres of federal civil servants.
The president gave this directive in Abuja, yesterday, while speaking at the International Civil Service Conference, reaffirming his resolve to achieve efficiency and professional service delivery in the civil service.
“I have authorized the comprehensive personnel audit and skill gap analysis across the federal civil service to deepen capacity. I urge all responsible stakeholders to prioritize timely completion of this critical exercise, to begin implementing targeted reforms, to realize the full benefit of a more agile, competent and responsive civil service,” the president announced.
Tinubu further directed all Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), to prioritise data integrity and sovereignty in national interest.
He called for the capture, protection and strategic publication of public sector data in line with the Nigeria Data Protection Act of 2023.
“We must let our data speak for us. We must publish verified data assets within Nigeria and share them internationally recognized as fruitful. This will allow global benchmarking organisation to track our progress in real time and help us strengthen our position on the world stage. This will preserve privacy and uphold data sovereignty,” Tinubu added.
President Tinubu hailed the federal civil service as the “engine” driving his Renewed Hope Agenda, and the vehicle for delivering sustainable national development.
He submitted that the roles of civil servants remain indispensable in modern governance, declaring that in the face of a fast-evolving digital and economic landscape, the civil service must remain agile, future-ready, and results-driven.
“This maiden conference is a bold step toward redefining governance in an era of rapid transformation. An innovative Civil Service ensures we meet today’s needs and overcome tomorrow’s challenges.
“It captures our collective ambition to reimagine and reposition the civil service. In today’s rapid, evolving world of technology, innovation remains critical in ensuring that the civil service is dynamic, digital” the President said.
Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Didi Walson-Jack in her welcome address told the President that his presence and strong words of commendation at the conference has renewed the morale and mandate of public servants across the country.
Walson-Jack described Tinubu as the backbone of driving transformation in the Nigerian civil service, and noted that the takeaways from past study tours undertaken to understudy the civil service in Singapore, the UK and US under her leadership, is already yielding multiplier effects.
Walson-Jack assured Tinubu that her office, in collaboration with reform-minded stakeholders, will not relent in accelerating the implementation of the Federal Civil Service Strategy and Implementation Plan, FCSSIP 25.
She affirmed that digitalisation, performance management, and continuous learning remain key pillars in strengthening accountability, transparency, and service delivery across MDAs.
Walson-Jack reaffirmed that the civil service is determined to exceed expectations by embedding a culture of innovation, ethical leadership, and citizen-centred governance in the heart of public administration.