The Medical Director, Dr. Sunday Osasu Olotu in a recent interview unfurled the state of affairs at the Federal Neuro Psychiatric Hospital, Uselu. The trio of our Assistant Editor, Tunde Eigbiremolen, Roland Osakue and Bernadette Idalu anchored this interview.
Excepts.
Through what Process did you emerge as the Medical Director of the Federal Neuro-Psychiatric Hospital, Uselu, Benin?
There are set down criteria for eligible posts and positions in the civil service, and that of the Medical Director and Chief Medical Director is primarily based on the fact that the person is a Medical Doctor, with (MBBS) or any other equivalent degree, in Medicine and Surgery from a recognized university and he/she has a licence to practice as a Doctor. He also needs to have a fellowship in any Medical sub-specialty. And in the case of the Federal Neuro-Psychiatry Hospital, the person needs to have a fellowship in Psychiatry. He needs to also be at least, a Consultant Psychiatrist who has practiced for a minimum of 5 years and short listed to participate in an interview process leading to the appointment of such occupier office. There is also the due process of advertisement for 6 weeks in 3 National or Local Dailies as well and a duly conducted interview with relevant stakeholders in panel.
But in this instance, the then Board of Management of this hospital, representatives of the Federal Ministry of Health, the advisory ministry of this hospital, representatives of the Federal Character Commission; five other people and myself, including someone who came from the United Kingdom participated in a due process interview.
By the reforms in the Civil Service, appointment into such directorate post is no longer by succession. The then President, Olusegun Obasanjo reformed a few aspects of The Civil Service and that was one of the reforms. Directorate cadre is no longer by seniority. It must undergo a competitive process of qualifiable persons from which the best or the most fitting persons from which the best or the most fitting would be chosen. That is the new order. It is applied across all boards and parastatals since that reform came into existence. That was exactly what was done in the Federal Neuro-Psychiatric Hospital. The interview was in September 20-2011. Of cause by March, I got a letter from the ministry signed by the supervisory minister for speciality hospitals, Dr. Ali Pate conveying the approval of Mr. President to appoint me as the Medical Director of this hospital. The effective date was March 20, 2012. That was how I emerged as the Medical Director of this hospital. It took about 6 months or thereabout for an approved due-processed Medical Director to emerge. That was me. This matter has been in contention for many parties but it is as simple and straight forward as that. Even parties and stakeholders who have no relevance in the medical profession are seeing it as a big issue.
To this end, the then Honourable Minister of Health, Prof. Christian Onyebuchi Chukwu came twice to this hospital to address a general staff meeting surrounding the appointment of a Medical Director in this hospital. I think this would have put paid to all doubting Thomases.
HOW HAVE YOU TRIED TO MAKE PEACE WITH OPPOSING CAUCUASES?
In my first address when I assumed office I said “I am a leader-servant who came to do the best to improve the delivery of the medical centre in Benin City; who came to stand for the welfare of staff as best as possible; who came to do what is do-able in the advancement of human capacity development and to give to Caesar what is Caesar’s as at when due”. That has been my guiding principle and that is what I have done all the while.
No man is an island, therefore, you need other people to do things. These are the rules for achievement.
There were two Acting Directors before my appointment. One was Dr. G.O. Eze who acted for 12 weeks and by retirement, he left in January 25, 2012. After him came Dr. O.C. Ukeje who acted for 8 weeks before I was appointed. When I came on board, all the unions in the hospital went on strike. And for 6 weeks, they were off, on strike. Directors have no unions, they have an association. It was surprising that even doctors, the acting Medical Director (MD) before I was appointed and his Leutenant, the Acting Head of Medical Services, Ambrose Lawani, all went Awol with all the unions for a period as long as 6 weeks. We extended our arms of union and reconciliation to them via their proxies- the people who talk to them. That led us to an in-house meeting here with them and their spokesperson. The meeting lasted for nearly 5 hours to finding out why they behaved the way they behaved, and why they would not come to work, and took away all official properties in their possession including official cars. They locked statutory offices and took away the keys. They locked up the administrative block, gate, guest house, closed services, pharmacy hence we had to take the bull by the horns by breaking keys in order to render service in general public places but we did not touch their offices.
They gave flimsy excuses here and there of not feeling safe. But why won’t they feel safe? They said there were thugs, cultists and that everybody were in the place but the people who came with them marveled at the peace and senerity they saw in the compound. Their spokesperson also marveled at this. People were going about their normal duties. In 4 hours that we held that meeting there was no noise, no bang or distraction nor chaos even in a psychiatric hospital. They now said ok, they would come to work. We said that was fine. We told them to open the offices. A Medical Director is in place but his office is under lock so that it can be used, same for Director of Clinical Services. We gave them time to open these offices. They went and locked themselves in their offices for awhile and came out. When asked when they were to resume work, they promised to come. They went to their cars wanting to go but on instinct, someone just checked their cars and found out they had carted their official files away in their bags. We took those official files back from them, allowing them to go without any hullabaloo. That, in itself, is a gross misconduct. That they had been away without official leave for 6 weeks is also a gross misconduct. And we swallowed everything. These are senior staff and we said that we should allow them time to come back to their senses and work.
As if that was not enough, we went to the Department of State Security Service (DSS) Edo State more than three times. The Director would call for meetings, the hospital parties would come but they would not come. If one party comes (Dr Ukeji) the other party (Dr Lawani) would not come. Eventually, we were able to hold a meeting. The Director said he was tired of the bickering and counter writing hence the need to sort out the matter so that there would be peace. Grievances and demands of both doctors were looked at but Dr. Ukeji did not speak. So, I started offering. I am the Head, the Medical Director. I started offering- As the most senior director by appointment you ought to be the Head of the Clinical Department. I can understand why he said he won’t take. I can understand why because when he was acting I was most senior doctor on ground, through appointment. He passed me and another doctor over, and picked Dr. Akpan and chose Dr. Lawani to be the Head of Clinical Services which was a misnomer. Even if you don’t like my face, you would appoint me but work through the person you have the maximum trust in. This is what is expected. He breached protocol. In my mind, I would understand why he rejected the position because he did it to me, maybe he did not want to feel guilty by the process.
Haven missed being Medical Director, he may not necessarily have an official car anymore. I offered him an official car even if he rejected the office of the Director of Clinical Services. He said no, that his people would say that he has sold out; that he has betrayed. Who are your people? Our people here are Federal Government Staff, it is not a political appointment. Eventually, we now understood that these people so-called, were the ones who were gunning, placarding, planning and protesting, insisting that Dr. Ikeji must be the Medical Director, in contravention of the contemporal Civil Service reforms.
I bent backward doubly The last one was the Ministerial Technical Committee. Just as they were writing everywhere in Edo State that is how they were writing everywhere at Federal Level and to any agencies that cared to read and listen to what they had to say on how Dr. Olotu emerged wrongly.
The Minister sent a high powered delegation chaired by the Director of Legal Services in the Federal Ministry of Health. There is no better person to be the Chairman of that panel. There were representative from all ministries at that panel including the Director of Hospitals Management Board that supervises all the ministries in the country. They talked to all stakeholders one after another. They talked to the head of departments one after another. They also did same to the leaders of the unions and had random interviews with staff. They addressed a general staff meeting and called a conciliatory meeting for all stakeholders to conclude the matter. All their grievances were addressed. The main point Dr. Ukeji was driving at was that his people would not like it. Remember that I came in during a six weeks strike. The no-work-no pay-rule which applies after one month of staying off from work, kicked into motion. If the strike had something to do with Labour issues it is understandable, but the issues at hand had nothing to do with labour issues, to warrant going into a strike action by all unions. I was still at Abuja when the strike started. I liaised with the Director of Administration.
As per the issue of strike, they had violated all procedures of strike of giving a notice of 21, 14 and 7 days before going on strike. These rules were violated and the issues were no labour issues. They were to send out a circular to all staff but if you go on strike, it is an illegitimate strike. I informed I will apply the no work, no pay rule. I forewarned. The issue he kept raising was that people and unions who went on strike, I should pay back the deductions of no work, no pay to them. I told the panel that, that was a decision I could not rescind. Why? I just came to power and the first decisive decision I would take as the medical executive, then I come back in six – eight weeks and reverse it, what has that done to management and my executive power? What would that do to discipline and order in the organization in the system? It would turn it upside down. This was a system already polarized by Dr Ikeji, Pharmacist Lawani Oriaikhi co-horts and unions. I told them I cannot pay that money since we were no longer in that fiscal year, in an establishment run by budget. The millions deducted had been returned to the treasury so where would I get such money to pay them? I told them this is something that is undo-able but Ikeji stood his ground saying until that is done, that is how we can have peace. He said they would think he sold out. I told him, he is a senior staff and there is an integrity that goes with being a senior staff. If you say you are a leader then you should be able to talk to your members and they would listen to you. I told him that I expected him as a leader to go back and explain to his people how things are urging them to forget the matter and re-group to continue, in co-operation with the new board. All the commendations by the Board was about peace and harmony. The only thing we did not do was pay back the money because of the no work no pay rule. Every other decision was implemented so that there would be peace.
There was one of his persons, Theophilus Osifo that said he must not be deployed to any other place in the hospital except in Accounts. He is an Executive Officer Accounts. That peace would reign he was brought back to Accounts. But ideally, the movement of staff/personnel is the purview of the Medical Director. People who ought to be converted the year before that had disciplinary issues, by the Extant Rules, you are not expected to benefit, if you are facing disciplinary issues until they are disposed. They said we should release their letter of confirmation and promotion and write off all their offences whether they were culpable or not. Whatever they wanted, we did for them in the interest of peace. The ones who failed to sit for promotion, Dr. Lawani was one of them, they said in the next promotion he should sit for such promotion and he did in the next exam and he was promoted but the rules of promotions cannot be back dated anymore. And the recommendation from the ministry said all recommendation are applicable except that one of backdating; to the issue of the interview he was supposed to sit in 2012 for which he could not meet because there is no more normal promotion. I showed him the letters from the ministry and why his letter now read January 1, 2013. He saw everything. These guys did not sheathe their swords.
Why do you think they are adamant?
It is difficult to say. I have had cause to listen to Bob Marleys music which stated, “He who fights and runs away, lives to fight another day”. I have also listened to other wise sayings but their own stand defies all sensitivities, logicality and rationality. Its in the purview of being delusional or being psychiatric delusionally paranoid. However, am beginning to see certain things which is making them doggedly fighting. There appears to have been some vested interest. The one that came to light was when the ministry returned a memo that Dr. Ikeji wrote asking the Medical Director to tell me to implement the proper organogram of specialty hospital. They made the recommendation within eight weeks to re-alter the organogram of the hospital, at variance to what is the standard of specialty hospital. It was such that it was divide and rule to benefit his cronies and co-horts.
They split Clinical Services Department into two-three, they split Pharmacy into 2 so that Eson would head one and Uyi would head one. They split Nursing Services where one of their hench men is, Akpeji so that he would head one while the other person would head one. It dawned on me that there were issues of vested interest, power and relevance. From further information we are gleanings, these people were the people who were heading unions and also heading Co-operative Societies in the hospital. It simply means that they wanted to remain in position to either perpetrate things or cover things that had been perpetrated. That is beginning to be my conclusion now. The fourth year running they are still fighting the same fight and the same person in the presence of obvious facts to the contrary. It does not meet any logical explanation
Is there any obvious mis-nomer that could point to sharp practices by these group of persons?
The only gleanings we are seeing now is the Co-operative Society. We discovered irregularities in the way the Co-operative Organizations were being ran, headed by Peter Akpeji one of the “My people” group of Dr Ikeji and a high ranking nurse in the hospital. Everything that had to do with deduction of staff salaries has to be approved by the executive. My first observation was that the deductions in co-operative societies was boycutting the Chief Executive. I don’t see it, I don’t know it and before you know it, Accounts have deducted and remitted to their various accounts. I called the Accountant and asked if this was the practice. He said it was not a good practice but that is what they had been doing. Of course, it was Dr. O.C Ukeji that was the Acting Chief Medical Director (CMD), before him was another one. I found out that the treasurer of that Co-operative Society works in Accounts Department. Some of these things come in from the back door, are operated at that level and out-putted at that level without authorization and approvals. I said this can’t be, I am a due process person and have to normalize the process. I called the President of the Co-operative Society and told him my observations. I told him from the next check off deductions, I want the application showing everything to pass through my table for approval. They grumbled but sent me the paper towards pay day. I studied the paper in detail for three months and I began to see discrepancies; things that are questionable. A staff who is on maybe one hundred thousand naira has taken a loan running into 1-5 million naira. It does not marry. The Extant Rules state that the take home of a staff cannot be less than one-third (1/3) of his salary. More than two to third (2/3) of the Co-operative members had to go home with five thousand, two to eight thousand naira even when they ought to be going home with N150,000 a month such were going home with N20,000. I found out that there was multiple loans running concurrently. Loans for land, IBTC bank loan directly from Co-operative and another bank loan again at the same time, the Christmas one for rice, chicken, turkey and groundnut oil all running concurrently. It was an incredible and embarrassing pay. In the Extant Rule, that is financial embarrassment, which is misconduct on the part of such staff. Apart from that, it kills the moral of the workers and kills the job. At the end of the month instead of going home with a fat pay they go home with N5000. Hence, by the first day of the next month, such people look for sharp methods or cut corners and even compromise their jobs to get money from whatever way including taking money from patients or their relatives in whatever way. Some buy and make claims for Louvres at the cost of N150,000 for what goes at the market rate of N5000. That was when we knew something was wrong in the Co-operative Society.
How was that problem cured?
Cured? I called the secretary and stated my observations. He said, “we know but we are trying to deal with it.” That is what they were dealing with before they left and the system has not changed
Considering what you have enumerated, do you feel pressured?
I tell you, I have been highly pressured. If your attention and focus is focused on a goal directed objective without distraction, you harness all your energies. Your productivity, and your deliverables would be very high. But with distractions every where, I am dividing my mental energy and physical energy everywhere. It creates pressure. But the good thing is I am a workaholic, I have the personality strength that makes me go on and on and they all know it, even my critics that I am the number one workaholic person in this hospital since I came into this hospital in 1999. In anywhere or gathering, no doctor works better than I have, in imput, in concentration or ability.
The workers claimed they were not given queries before their sack
The Board of Management was inaugurated sometime in 2013. From my discourse so far, they have trivially breached the Civil Service.
There was this one who went Awol and went to America during the 6 weeks. She came and repeated the process. She went again for 2 weeks in another year. Pharmacist Uyi left the job for about 2-3 weeks without leave. There was one day they reported and I went to Abuja to answer it at the headquarters.
I went there and to my chagrin, I found Pharmacist Uyi there, a staff of mine who ought to be on duty working. I traveled for 3 days. In the ministry it is counted from day one, Uyi was at Abuja without excuse. It was a breach of the Civil Service already. These sect of people I had condoned but they had in impunity breached and re-breached the civil Service Rule and were breeding a system of impunity. They were breeding followers who were indisciplined, uncontrolled, reckless and disorderly. My patience was not helping the system. I am the Chief Executive officer, the number one Accounting Officer of the hospital. If anything goes wrong it means the ministry would be called to account and one of my mandate is to ensure that service runs and the people get good mental service delivery. These things happening were a distraction and not helping issues. They kept using careless slangs of impunity. Junior staffs could even slap senior staffs and nothing would happen to them. We cannot go on like this. The matter was brought before the Board. Each time they breach, we queried and they responded. It got to a time they refused to even collect the query from you talk less of replying. This was the height of impunity. The matter were presented before the Board during a Board Meeting. They had become impediments to the system. We did a chronology of all their work history, some of them as far back as 2004-2009 had received queries from the Federal Ministry of Health, warnings and reprimands. So, why had they still been in the system breeding impunity? The Board looked at the picture, considered everything and took decision on them. One of them, Ohenhen was facing concurrent sanction. Uniben blacklisted him as a Chief forger; he forged his own result being a members of a syndicate that forges its own results. His certificate has been withdrawn by the University of Benin. He was the Secretary of the Co-operative Society. When we got that information, it simply meant that his employment is invalid. He was terminated. Pharmacist Uyi had his ministerial query and a lot of impunities and breaches in his past. They thought it was enough. His appointment was terminated. For Lawani, he also got his ministerial query far back in 2002, Uyi’s was in 2004 and Lawani 2009. They also said he should be dismissed. His appointment was terminated. There was also one Administrative Officer (A.O) who misplaced a patient’s case note. Till date, we have not found that. Upon that, he was brooding and bragging in impunity. He was also in in-subordination to senior staff. By looking at their cases critically, the Board saw reason for them to go.
One week after that, they brought in thugs and area boys to shut down the hospital and lock the gates, protesting their termination.
Okhoro Police Station must have heard and charged the matter to court. Some of them are still in court. We have the clips of the gate which was locked by them.
Did you actually serve them with queries before their sack?
Good question. I already told you that when you give them queries they don’t receive. Their letters of termination, dismissal and everything was served to their known recorded address. They left standing decisions that nobody should collect letters for them. We used the next process using courier services which was also returned. I tried to serve them by hand they never took any letters and all their friends and co-horts were mandated by them not to stand for anything for them. It is on that ground that they are saying they have not received any letters informing them of their sack or terminations. All the matters and reports have been forwarded to the Federal Ministry of Health and the Ministry is totally in the know of everything. The board here carried out the decision on them, not me. The Board is a constitute of eight persons representing various interests. I am just the executive person there because I am the head of the institution.
So, what you mean now is that their termination followed due process?
Yes, and to the letter.
Now that they are no longer around, how is the place?
There is an air of relief by all staff. If you take a walk round the hospital you will notice that it does not look like a psychiatric hospital. No signs are around to tell you there is disorder and chaos here. Even while dealing with those distractions, I was still able to maintain a level of peace and serenity except for the isolated cases which are these group. We now have complete peace here since they were exited from the system.
They accused you of spoiling the system sending cultists and thugs to intimidate them as well as calling the Divisional Police Officer of Okhoro police station to do same?
Now, am I a police officer? So, how do I now tell a police officer duly trained and risen to the post of a D.P.O. on how to do his job or what to do as a police officer? Like the incidence at the gate, it is breach of peace, is it not? I told you I was at Abuja when the riot and strike and all the commotion started. So, how do I bring in thugs when I was standing before the Minister or Director? I am a peace loving person. I went through Uniben for my tertiary education. In my time, cultism had started. Medical Students were Capons of cults. I didn’t join cults.
They are the rough workers, they are the people who know thugs. The reconciliatory meeting we held here for nearly 4 hours…. do you know who they brought as their spokes person and guidance angel? A Capon of a cult group. So, who is using thugs and cultists? Policemen know the limits and bounds of their job. He can’t be used to intimidate civil servants or civilians. If an officer does wrong he is court marshaled.
Before I became the Medical Director, the Account officer who said, “that is the way they had been doing it,” because they felt he was not –co-operating with them, they brought policemen from Okhoro and told him to hand over to their own group Accountant at gun point. He was ordered to walk out of the office without taking anything. The officer is alive and well, he can tell you what happened.
It is often said that one of the true test of leadership is to be able to use your men even in the face of crises to achieve set goals and objectives. In the midst of all these crises, what are your modest achievements.
I would say that if not for the distractions by now, this hospital would have been the number one psychiatric hospital in this country and beyond. I, Dr. Osahon and one other Dr. Akenzua are the 3 persons that have gone outside for over seas exposure and experience. I have more than enough experience, training and knowledge to be able to deliver deliverables. In UK I got a masters Degree on Psychological Research Methods. I was partly working with the Cambridge Trust and the Borough Foundation Trust. The first thing I wanted to achieve was to break treatment from doctors seeing all patients. I broke Doctors and nurses units into lines of specialty. Some are specialists in old people Psychiatry, Children and Adolescents, Drug Addiction, General Psychiatry. Forensic psychiatry which deals with Law and Mental Health have been established. Our hospital is one of the hospitals chosen by the United Nations on drugs and crime – United Nations Office for Drug and Crime as a model hospital for treatment and training on drug addiction problem. We won it in my time. Offices are being carved in those lines of specialty. This hospital is a 230 bedded hospital. The beds are filled to the brim. What is the down side of that? The personnel have little or no time to do detailed and qualitative mental service delivery. Now we have either 50 percent bed occupancy or two third bed occupancy. Instead of me coming by 8am doing a ward round of 25 patients to see, now I have either 10 patients to see. What does that translate into? It means I have ample time to see every patient. We now deliver qualitative health service delivery.
You don’t just come and see all groups of mental patients all grouped together.
