The feud between the management and
staff of the Federal Medical Centre,
Owerri took a new dimension on Friday
when hundreds of staff of the medical
centre took to the streets of Owerri the
Imo State capital.
Carrying placards with various
derogatory inscriptions calling for the
removal of their Medical Director, Dr
Angela Uwakem, they alleged financial
misappropriation and virement, high-
handedness and victimization.
The protesting staff who gathered under
3 different unions; National Union of
Allied and Health Professionals, Medical
and Health Workers Union of Nigeria
and National Association Of Nigeria
Nurses And Midwives, FMC chapter,
alleged that the personnel funds
released by the Accountant-General of
the Federation in 2014 for the
2013/2014 promotion arrears meant for
workers’ welfare was vired into capital
projects in the centre knowing fully well
that virement is a serious offence in the
Nigerian constitution.
They also accused her of victimizing
staff who did not support her proposal
of privatizing some departments and
units in the centre.
While explaining to newsmen the cause
of their grievances, the Chairman of the
FMC chapter of the National Union of
Allied and Health Professional, Clifford
Ezeukwu, accused the Medical Director
of financial misappropriation,
victimization, high-handedness and
non-payment of staff promotional
arrears which has been approved by the
federal government.
He went further to allege that through a
dubious means, the Medical Director
vired the promotional arrears of staff
into capital projects which is an offence
under the law. She was also accused of
high-handedness, victimization and
employment racketeering.
It was not the first or second time staff
of Federal Medical Centre Owerri would
be protesting against their management.
To paint a more serious scenario this
time, they were all clad in black attire.
Before ending-up their protest at the
hospital premises, they walked the
streets of Owerri causing heavy traffic
gridlock, chanting songs and showing
off red cards and whistles connoting
‘time up’ for the Medical Director.
The protesters called on the outgoing
government of President Goodluck
Jonathan and the incoming president,
General Muhammadu Buhari to probe
the activities of the Medical Director.
They also advised that she resigns her
job honourably, adding that as at time of
the protest, members of the various
unions have embarked on an indefinite
strike until the federal government
intervenes in the matter.
The Medical Director, Dr Angela
Uwakwem, was not available to respond
to the allegations, having being told that
she was in a board meeting. The Acting
Board Chairman of FMC Owerri, Senator
Onyeka Okoroafor, who was about
joining the board meeting, addressed
the protesters on behalf of the
management.
He said that a committee would be set
up to look into all the allegations
levelled against the Medical Director
saying no matter the circumstance, no
action will be taken unilaterally without
the consent of the union.
However, for peace to reign on the
centre, he urged the workers to go back
to their duty posts as all matters would
be addressed accordingly. source www​.channelstv.com/.../fmc- owerri -staff...

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If President, Muhammadu Buhari is firmly resolved on the fight against corruption in Nigeria, the Federal Medical Centres across the country would be a good place to start. In Imo state, the face-off between workers and the management of the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Owerri which has crippled activities at the hospital for the past two months, has taken a new twist with the workers who had earlier been demanding cancellation of the Public Private Partnership (PPP) proposal by the management of the centre, now demanding the sack of the Medical Director, Dr. Angela Uwakwem. While the PPP controversy lingered, the angry workers were critically probing into the records and activities of the Medical Director. By the time the FMC Board in its 43rd meeting held on 15th May, 2015 eventually conceded to the demands of the hospital unions cancelling the PPP; revoking the contract of already outsourced units; withdrawing queries to leaders of the unions and meeting other demands, the unions led by the National Union of Allied Health Professionals (NUAHP) had already unearthed seemingly sleazy deals that called the integrity and credibility of the FMC management to question. Rather than return to work, the union on the same 15th of May, petitioned the hospital’s Board through the Finance and General Purposes Investigation Committee of the Board alleging gross financial misconduct and high-handedness on the part of the Medical Director, Dr. Angela Uwakwem. Top on the reasons for the call for the immediate removal of the Medical Director is her alleged virement of the sum of N242,226,424.81 from personnel cost to capital cost. In the petition signed by the Chairman of the National Union of Allied Health Professionals (NUAHP), Mr. Ezeugwu Clifford, his Secretary General, Nwafuru S.K and Chairmen and Secretaries of two other unions in the Medical Centre, the unions alleged that personnel fund to the tune of N242,226,424.81 released by the Accountant General of the Federation in 2014 for the payment of workers’ 2013/2014 promotion arrears was vired to capital projects by the Medical Director in flagrant violation of Civil Service financial regulations which prohibits virement of fund from personnel cost to capital projects. The union had also questioned the authenticity of a waiver document purportedly signed by Senator Ahmad Maccido, Chairman Senate Committee on Appropriation and Hon. John Owan Enoh, Chairman House Committee on Appropriation, who was signed for, by an unknown person. The union argues that at the time of signing of the waiver in February as dated, the National Assembly was on recess, in preparation for the general elections. They also observed that while the waiver document which has no reference number was captioned, ‘Request for a virement of fund from Personnel Cost to Purchase of Hospital Equipment’, the first item under ‘Title of Projects’ was ‘Payment of Resident Doctors exams and workshop and other staff’ which they maintain had no bearing or connection to the ‘hospital equipment’ title. Investigations by our report further revealed that the Medical Director was paying herself overtime allowance against the provisions of the Public Service Rule. According to Article 130117 of the Public Service Rule, “Overtime allowance shall be paid to officers on Grade Level 14 and below.” In evident contravention of this rule, the Medical Director, Dr. Angela Uwakwem who is on Grade Level 17 has since May 2012 through December 2012 been paying herself N247,143.50 monthly as overtime allowance.Also on the table is the issue of employment racketeering against Uwakwem. According to the petition to the Board the unions alleged, “The Medical Director employs staff and backdates their employments. This has been her practice in the hospital for some years now. The accrueable salaries for the backdated months are never paid to the affected staff.” Further investigations by our reporter indicate that there may be no fewer than 95 documented cases. Presently, the once boisterous hospital environment of the FMC, Owerri has been reduced to a ghost town with the hospital now deserted. Not even the Accident and Emergency unit showed any sign of life as the ward was totally evacuated, as the workers continue to embark on their work-to-rule action, ‘till the Medical Director is removed’. “the staff of the hospital have lost confidence in the ability of the Medical Director, Dr. Angela Uwakwem to manage man, materials, finance and resources in the centre. We insist she should resign and make way for a thorough investigation on these weighty allegations since she cannot be judge in her own case.” Effort to contact Uwakwem was not fruitful. Several visits to her office did not yield much as officials attached to her told our correspondent that she had not been to the office for nearly two weeks since the protests took a new turn.

That governor doesn't care the plights of its citizenry