A fraud involving the Zonal Medical Director (ZMD) of the Ughelli Central Hospital, in the Delta State, Dr. Moses Eyovwerhuvwu, the Accountant, Mr. Azuka, and other officials of the hospital has been uncovered.
The current fraud said to be rocking the hospital, is the second in less than two years of the appointment of the ZMD who has been described as a ‘master of fraud,’ that strives in corruption.
A fraud involving the Zonal Medical Director (ZMD) of the Ughelli Central Hospital, in the Delta State, Dr. Moses Eyovwerhuvwu, the Accountant, Mr. Azuka, and other officials of the hospital has been uncovered.
The current fraud said to be rocking the hospital, is the second in less than two years of the appointment of the ZMD who has been described as a ‘master of fraud,’ that strives in corruption.
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An impeccable source in the hospital who confided in our SaharaReporters correspondent, said that the alleged equipment fraud was uncovered following a disagreement by the ZMD of the hospital and the HOD, Laboratory department, Comrade Joseph Owholo. As a result of the dispute, the ZMD issued a query into the HOD, and HOD’s response opened the doors, or ‘can of worms,’ on the illegal practices and abuse of office by the ZMD.
The equipment issue has generated controversy within the hospital, and also among the Hospital Management Board (HMB,) also known as Asaba. It was learned that the state Commissioner of Health, Dr. Joseph Otumara, had, some say, always ‘shaded’ the ZMD, and other staff found wanting especially involvement in the corrupt practices.
In a petition titled “Mismanagement of the Highest Order/Intimidation” by the HOD, Laboratory department, Comrade Joseph Owholo, addressed to the Permanent Secretary, Hospital Management Board, Asaba, and the State Chairman, Trade Union Congress through the office of the ZMD and obtained by SaharaReporters at the HMB office. The petition alleges that the ZMD, and the Zonal Administrator, is in an odd, and conflicting relationship, with a private supplier, that delivered a Semi Auto-Analyzer Chemistry Machine to the laboratory department of the Ughelli Central Hospital. At issue, says the petition, is that delivery was for a highly inflated amount, rounding out to about one million, two hundred thousand naira (N1, 200, 000. 00).
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According to the petitioner, Joseph Owholo, it reads in part, quote, “The ZMD brought a supplier of the equipment from Warri, and asked me to give him the specification that the man would buy it of which I did. Three days later, the supplier called (me) on the phone that he is unable to get the specification I gave him, and that there is another one, but of a different specification. I then told him that the important thing is that we have a perfect machine to work with in the Lab. He bought it, and we tested it in the lab, and found out it is working, but not as perfect as what we specified.
“I didn’t ask how much it cost, and as the HOD of the department I am supposed to apply, in writing, for the payment of the machine, as that would have been the only way to know the (true) amount of the machine. It was (only) later that I found out that the modalities for the payment was made by the Hospital Secretary, the ZMD, and the Hospital Accountant. I started smelling something ‘fishy’ in early March, when some auditors from Asaba came to the Lab to check the machine, and were asking the staff of the Lab how much the machine (had cost.) While they were asking one of the staff, the ZMD immediately rushed into the Lab, saying that the machine was bought for N1.2m, as against the three hundred something naira such equipment would cost.”
Continuing, the petition which also copied-in the Chief Medical Lab Scientist HMB Asaba, Chairman Association of Medical Lab Scientist HMB Chapter, and Chairman Association of Medical Lab Scientist Delta State, stated that, “During a recent meeting with HODs and management of the hospital, the ZMD was trying to insinuate that I am aware of the amount the machine was bought. I told him in the presence of everyone that I am not aware of the amount the machine was bought (and paid for,) and that he brought the supplier. What matters to me is that the machine is in good working condition.
“As the HOD, I was not even asked to apply for the money to pay the supplier. For you to believe, the Accu-Check Strips that we used in the lab were applied, and paid for by the ZMD and ZA. It was Dr. Abere, when he was acting and ZMD was on leave, he told the ZA that how can you apply for what you are not using, he did not approve, and the ZA decided to tell us to start applying for the strips.
“Following all this, I started hearing that ZMD said he would transfer me. I am not against the transfer but rather, (a) transfer should not be used as a weapon of intimidation in the HMB. I have been transferred three times (since,) two (times) in Delta North, and the last one in Central hospital Ughelli. For your information, the above officers i.e. (the) ZMD, ZHA and, ZA have done many elephant projects in the hospital, in several, departments which nobody in the hospital (even) knows the (actual) amount (that was) spent. Could you believe that they have not been able to fix the call duty room, and the leaking roof in the laboratory department, as they claim the cost is too high.
“Recently,” the petition continues, “money meant for the HIV programmer was spent by them, without due respect to the MoU that was signed, in respect to the money. If you investigate the matter, you would see that the HIV program is about crumbling, as people are now using their own money to do things for the program. Personally, I have travelled twice to Benin without the allocated funds for sample shipment.”
The petition further stated that, “Two weeks ago, a patient that Dr. Obanovwen operated on in our central hospital Ughelli, and transferred to his (Dr. Obanovwen) private clinic at Emekpa, was transferred with a blood, with more than half the blood used, returned that it reacted and he said he would not pay for the blood and he has not paid till this date.”
Recently, there was a mild drama as the ZMD, walked out the HOD Laboratory from his office during a visit by the commissioners, representing Ughelli North\Ethiope East Local Government Areas, and Ndokwa ethnic nationality on the board of the Delta State Oil Producing Area Development Commission (DESOPADEC) Chief Ominimini, and Sir Ken Okologbo, to donate an ambulance to the hospital.
A source who witnessed the drama told our correspondent that “Barely few minutes the commissioners had already seated at the office of the ZMD, when other top officials of the hospital, including the HOD came in to welcome the visitors, and on sighting the HOD, walked into his office. The ZMD stood up and walked him out of his office, to the amazement of the commissioners and journalists present. He said, “I did not invite you here, please leave my office,” and he shut the door after him.
The source said, a visibly angry HOD who protested what he termed as an “embarrassment” while being consoled by other staff members of the hospital at the adjourning office of the receptionist to the ZMD, threatened to disrupt the meeting, that “as a senior staff (member) of this hospital, I am supposed to be in this meeting.”
Reliable sources working in the hospital that confided in our correspondent also revealed that the ZMD could not account for the funds from the Nigerian Institute of Virology, which is meant for the HIV program of the hospital, which he may have allegedly diverted to his private pockets.
“The ZMD, and Dr. Obanovwen, always schemed to defraud the hospital, and the state government. Dr. Obanovwen always gives kickbacks to the ZMD, after using the hospital theatre, somewhere at Emekpa in Ughelli and bill them thousands of naira, depending on the type of operations,” a staff member disclosed.
An impeccable staff member and source at the HMB confided in SaharaReporters that the Accountant of the hospital, Mr. Azuka, has been quarried on different occasions by the HMB for personally withdrawing funds from the hospital account, instead of issuing cheques for purchases and supplies made to the hospital as required. “Mr. Azuka is a partner in crime with the ZMD in defrauding the hospital. Our annoyance is that we have come to discover that the Health Commissioner, Dr. Joseph Otumara, has an understanding with the ZMD because he has never acted on any corruption related issues, indicting the ZMD brought to his knowledge either through writing or verbally.”
When contacted on phone, the ZMD, Dr. Moses Eyovwerhuvwu, denied the allegations, but owned up that he did walk out the HOD, “I did not invite HODs to that meeting, hence he wasn’t supposed to be there. I only invited consultants, and the matron in charge. Any staff who didn’t obey that and thought he could smuggle himself in, is illegal and would be treated as such.”
The ZMD, however, refused to answer further questions put to him on the alleged fraud, while the Accountant, Mr. Azuka, rebuffed our correspondent, saying he doesn’t talk to Journalists on the telephone.
It would be recalled that the same ZMD, sometime in 2013, was involved in alleged drug racketeering with Pharmacists in the hospital. In that claim, believed by many medical and health officials there, was one where they would hoard drugs, meant for the state free health program that are then sold to patients, and shared the money among themselves.
As his tradition, all calls and text messages to Dr. Otumara’s for his reaction on the issue at stake were ignored.
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