The crisis rocking the Federal Neuropsychiatric Hospital, Enugu has taken another dimension as the workers have petitioned the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), alleging monumental fraud in the hospital.

The workers, under the aegis of Association of Psychiatric Nurses of Nigeria (APNON) and the Graduate Nurse Association of Nigeria (GNAN), said they could no longer fold their hands and watch the Managing Director, Dr. Jojo Onwukwe, and few other persons totally destroy the health institution.

They, therefore, pleaded with EFCC acting Chairman, Mr. Ibrahim Magu to investigate all their claims and ensure that all the culprits were brought to book.

The petition was signed by Mr. Maduka Chibuzo and Okonkwo Jude, the chairman and the secretary of APNON respectively, as well as Anoliefo Grace and Nwagwu Vitus, the chairman and the secretary of GNAN respectively.

They claimed in the petition that “N570 million came into the hospital accounts to settle arrears in October/November 2016 but has been hidden till date in a different account by the Managing Director.

“Fifty million naira was shared out to friends and associates in the hospital, with the title ‘Insurance Premium’ by the Managing Director at Concord Hotel, Owerri, in the last week of December, 2015, because the Federal Government will mop it up at the end of the year.”

The workers, who provided a breakdown of how the money was allegedly shared, said one of the beneficiaries in the accounts department of the hospital returned N2,000,000 paid to him, citing religious grounds.

They further told Magu that “the Medical Director has collected N20 million salary advance but has not deducted it from his salary till date.

“The receipts kept in the medical records department got burnt overnight without any investigation.

“N18 million was used by Mrs. Stella Achalla, the Medical Director’s Secretary to buy fridges, photocopying machines, without recourse to procurement department.”

The hospital workers, who equally claimed that Onwukwe had long reached the mandatory retirement agh, said he has “refused to join IPPS like all other hospital, so that he can be using deceased individuals, retired and resigned individuals to get money from the government.

“We ask you to urgently look into these matters because the hospital is a ticking time bomb. The medical director has sowed the seed of discord through the divide and rule method, among nurses and doctors.

“For complete peace and normalcy to return to the hospital, Dr. Onwukwe must go and a new medical director and head of clinical should be appointed from outside the hospital.”

Efforts made to get reaction from Onwukwe was not successful as he did not pick calls put across to him.

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