ABEOKUTA – The Management of Federal Medical Centre, Idi-Aba, Abeokuta, Ogun state has issued a 72-hour ultimatum to the Centre for Anti-Corruption and Open Leadership (CACOL) to retract an allegation of ₦100M fraud against the Medical Director and two Deputy Directors in the Centre or face a court action.
CACOL had in a petition to Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission (ICPC) and Economic and Financial Crimes Commission(EFCC), alleged a diversion of ₦100m compensation funds meant for the Ajibayo villagers, whose lands were acquired for a proposed University of Medicine and Medical Sciences.
The contents of the petition, which among other things, alleged “failure to show due process in the financial management of the Centre” were published by some bloggers, without recourse to establishing their veracity, which it added, was in itself a violation of ethical responsible journalism.
Reacting to the development, the Centre, views the CACOL’s allegations as laughable, charade, frivolous and smacks of desperate attempts by some disgruntled elements to malign the cherished and jealously guarded character of officers so named in the said petition.
In a release by Segun Orisajo, Head, Public Relations & Information on behalf of the Medical Director, the Management noted that it would ordinarily have ignored the petition and the subsequent sponsored publications for lack of substance but on the other hand had chosen to set the records straight for the benefit of numerous Nigerians who believed in the integrity, godly virtues, transparency and impeccable character of the individuals mentioned in the publications.
“Contrary to the make-belief spurious allegations by the CACOL, due process was indeed strictly followed in all financial issues surrounding the payment of compensation to the affected Ajibayo villagers about two years ago. For the avoidance of doubts, the Ogun State Bureau of Lands and Survey and Ministry of Agriculture supervised the presentation of Cheques to the Ajibayo beneficiaries in the full glare of Print and Electronic media practitioners.
“Substantial evidences abound to substantiate this statement. This fact was further corroborated by the Secretary to the Heads of Ajibayo Village and environs, Mr Taiwo Olukunle Abdul Quadir who vehemently dismissed in its entirety the allegations of impropriety being leveled against the Medical Director and two of his directors.
“The Secretary described the petition and publications as ‘malicious action with the mission to blackmail the good name of the Medical Director and his subordinates. I see this move as a regrettable act of rewarding diligence, truthfulness and transparency of the Medical Director who organized the presentation of cheques to all of us in an elaborate occasion supervised by the relevant Ministry and Agency in Ogun State with the full Media coverage. Nothing was shady in the whole exercise.’
“The Management has therefore urged members of the public to disregard the petition and publications as concocted falsehood, fallacious, baseless, fabricated lies and far from the truth.Similarly, the management has warned individuals and groups who are behind the latest ignominious act to find something worthwhile doing rather than engaging in the fruitless race of shadow chasing,” Orisajo stated.
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