By OLUKAYODE BABALOLA

The Management of the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Keffi, has sacked two of its staff and suspended others over job racketeering.

Dr Yahaya Adamu, the Chief Medical Director (CMD), of the hospital disclosed this in an interview with newsmen on Friday in Keffi.

According to Adamu, when the allegation was reported to the management, it immediately constituted a committee to investigate the matter, adding that those found wanting were handed over to its Disciplinary Committee on Senior Staff Affairs for further action.

He explained that the committee, headed by himself, had statutory membership with a representative of the Minister of Health and various health unions as observers.

“The investigation was done in the open and having concluded our work we forwarded our recommendations to the minister since the board of the hospital is yet to be constituted.

“The recommendations were modified and a final position was taken over all those accused on job racketeering and others accused of committing other offences.

“Nine staff were affected and all of them were tried based on their levels of involvement. Only one them was found not guilty,” he said.

The CMD explained that none among the accused staff was spared, adding that those who were not punished were found to be wrongly accused.

“So, there was nobody who was guilty that was not punished and those who were suspected to be guilty but for one reason or the other their cases have not been concluded were asked to remain until we conclude their matter.

“For anybody to say we allowed some of the accused persons to resume work after these steps that have been taken is unfair,” he added.

Adamu further explained that out of the two that were sacked, Peter Dare, found to be the ring leader of the racketeering syndicate, has been outrightly dismissed, while the appointment of the second person was terminated.

“When somebody is dismissed, it means he will never work for any government institution in Nigeria again and that’s what we did to the one who is the ring leader of this criminal syndicate.

“The second person was remorseful and considering her level of involvement, we terminated her appointment. In other words, she can still seek employment elsewhere but of course she has left FMC Keffi forever,” he explained.

The CMD promised to stop job racketeering in the hospital through proper check and balance mechanism, insisting that anyone caught would not be spared.

He also said that management of the hospital had put in place measures toward ensuring quality services delivery, through the provision of alternative power supply, and the rehabilitation and procurement of some laboratory equipment toward meeting the needs of patients. (NAN)