According to the worker, the Federal Ministry of Health took over the affairs of the college in 2010 and set up an interim administrative body that was supposed to reposition the institution within six months.
Some staff members of the Federal College of Complementary and Alternative Medicine (FEDCAM) have accused the institution’s management of intimidation, arbitrary downgrading, and financial mismanagement, alleging that the college has been run for years in violation of its establishing law.
Speaking anonymously for fear of reprisals, one of the affected workers told SaharaReporters that the crisis at the college dates back to 2010 when the National Universities Commission (NUC) shut down the institution over irregularities, even though its clinic continued to operate.
“I work for the Federal College of Complementary and Alternative Medicine, also known as FEDCAM. I was given an appointment in 2009 on the 10-step 3,” the staff member said.
According to the worker, the Federal Ministry of Health took over the affairs of the college in 2010 and set up an interim administrative body that was supposed to reposition the institution within six months.
“But that interim administrative body continues till 2022. All they do is make budgets for car, medical equipment, office equipment, etc. and eat the money because we do not have an office accommodation,” the source alleged.
The staff member further claimed that workers were forced to contribute personal funds to ensure the passage of the bill establishing the college into law, which was eventually signed in 2022. However, instead of appointing a substantive Provost as required by the Act, the Ministry allegedly appointed a Sole Administrator.
“Instead of appointment a Provost for the College they appointed a Sole Administrator which is contrary to the establishment act of the institution. When the administrator came, he faulted almost everything that the College has done, all the career progression we have made, he cancelled them,” the staff member said.
The worker alleged that the Sole Administrator downgraded senior staff and elevated junior officers over them.
“He brought me from CONHESS 13 to CONHESS 11 and make juniors to become my bosses,” the source said.
The staff also accused the management of recruiting retirees into key positions without due process.
“There is another wickedness going in the College; the Permanent Secretary also recruited pensioners to head key departments in the college. The Sole Administrator is a retiree; he was given six months to put things straight in the College.
“He ended up spending more than a year. The head of account is also a retiree and the head of administration is a retiree. They all came in without proper recruitment procedures,” the worker alleged.
The affected staff members further claimed that after a public hearing was held on the crisis at the college, the situation worsened.
“After this public hearing took place, the Sole Administrator went behind to bribe the House of Representatives to step down the report. Till now, the outcome of the public has not been made public so those of us who do not dance to the beating of their drum, they want to frustrate us so that once a junior officer is elevated, we will resign and leave the service,” the source said.
They alleged that the refusal to appoint a substantive head was deliberate.
“The reason why they don't want us to have a substantive head is because they have been using our parastatal as a conduit and spending our budgets year in year out,” one of the staff members added.
Appealing for protection, the worker said, “There are so many staff members who are affected by this divide-and-rule tactic of proper placement. I even have a colleague who is also on the same grade level with me that was equally downgraded.”
When SaharaReporters contacted the Sole Administrator, he denied the allegations of wrongdoing.
“My mandate is to ensure the college is running properly. Imagine since over 15 years of existence, the college has not produced a single set of students. But we have been paying salaries of over 120 staff members and they kept getting promotions,” he said.
Responding to the allegation of downgrading staff members, he said, “That is not true. We asked them for practical experience during screening but they could not provide them. Most of them rarely come to work and there are a lot of irregularities.”
He also dismissed claims of financial impropriety regarding vehicle purchases.
“On the alleged purchase of vehicle, it was a lie. What really happened was that I came in 2024. At that time, I was not involved in the college budget for 2024 and 2023 where they put purchase of vehicle. They can check the 2025 (budget) which I was involved in, you will realise there is no space where vehicle was put,” he said.