Alleged N280 million fraud: FMC Owo doctors vow intermittent protests

The Association of Resident Doctors, ARD, Federal Medical Centre, Owo, commenced another series of protests on Tuesday, to demand the payment of their skipping arrears for 2016, amounting to N280.9 million.

The doctors said they had confirmed that the funds had been released to the hospital since March 2017, by the federal government, but the Medical Director, Liasu Ahmed, ”had denied receiving any funds for the purpose.”

Mr. Ahmed, who earlier spoke to PREMIUM TIMES on the allegation, said an earlier N280 million received by the hospital was not meant for the payment of the doctors’ skipping arrears but it was for other expenditures, including the entitlements of other categories of workers.

But the doctors, brandishing relevant documents said this was not true, defending their claims that the funds had been paid to the hospital while adding that they would continue to make the demands until the payments were made.

President of the ARD, Ibikunle Fakorede, alleged that the Medical Director had diverted the funds for other uses, contrary to the mandate contained in the memo directing the payment of the funds.

He told PREMIUM TIMES on Tuesday that the doctors had commenced a protest to occupy the office of the medical director until the funds were made available to the doctors.

“We have heard that the Federal Government has no other funds to remit to the institution for the payment of the arrears, since the one released had been used for other purposes by the MD,” Mr. Fakorede said.

“We have decided to commence the occupying the Acting Medical Director’s office today 19th September, 2017.

“The protest and occupation of the Ag.MD’s office will continue between the hours 8am to 1pm daily till our demands are met. We would resume work by 2pm each day till 8am the following morning.