Jos — Several national officers of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) have expressed anger at the interference of governors on the platform of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the appointment of Acting Medical Directors to head the newly established National Orthopedic Hospitals and other health institutions in the country.
A source at the APC National Secretariat in Abuja stated that the leadership of the party was particularly miffed that governors Caleb Mutfwang of Plateau State, Agbu Kefas of Taraba State and Godwin Obaseki of Edo States nominated candidates for such appointments in their respective states and were accepted by the immediate past Minister of Health, Dr Osagie Ehanire who issued letters of appointments to them on his last working day as minister despite lacking the powers to make such appointments.
It was gathered that the power to appoint the headship to the newly established hospitals is statutorily vested in the office of the Minister of State for Health, Dr Ekumankama Joseph who had, in exercise of such powers, issued letters of appointments to the respective specialist practitioners prior to the alleged unwarranted interference in the appointment process by the PDP governors through Ehanire.
An APC chieftain in Abuja who does not wish to be named accused Dr Ehanire of "working against the interest of the party. You can imagine that two of the three PDP governors immediately facilitate and received the Ehanire-nominated Acting Medical Directors for the newly established National Orthopedic Hospitals for Plateau and Edo States despite being intimated of the illegality of the action of the erstwhile minister of health whose action is presently being investigated by top officials of the Federal Ministry of Health (FMOH) to correctly streamline the appointment process in order not to set a dangerous precedent for the next set of ministers in the ministry as they fear that a Minister of Health who is bent on frustrating the Minister of State can very easily counteract any appointment he makes by issuing his own letters."
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When contacted, many officials in the federal ministry of health declined to comment on the matter as they claimed they had very strict instructions to maintain a studied silence pending resolution of the issue.
Recall that the former Minister of State for Health, Hon Ekumankama Joseph presented letters of appointments to Drs Choji Chungjoe, Philip Ugbodaga and Chubado Tahir to head the newly established National Orthopedic Hospitals in Plateau, Edo and Taraba States respectively in acting capacities pending the confirmation of the appointments by the President. Some appointment letters were however allegedly handed to other individuals for the same positions by Ehanire, a situation that has generated intense discussions and tension in the health sector.
