The Chief Clinical Coordinator, Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, Cancer Centre, Prof Olufemi Fasanmade, has sued President Bola Tinubu, over the appointment of Prof Wasiu Adeyemo, as the LUTH Chief Medical Director.
SaharaReporters reported on June 9, 2023 that Fasanmade in a letter to the President, dated June 6, 2023, which he personally signed, had alleged that the selection process through which Adeyemo was appointed was flawed and compromised.
According to Fasanmade, he and Adeyemo served as chairman, Medical Advisory Committee (CMAC) to the LUTH erstwhile CMD, Prof Chris Bode, at different times and that he was there the first four years with Adeyemo as his deputy.
However, Fasanmade in the suit filed at the National Industrial Court, Lagos Division with Suit No: NICN/CA/261/2023, sought for an order of the court to void the appointment of Prof Wasiu Adeyemo as the CMD LUTH stating that his appointment was full of irregularities.
The suit filed on September 7, 2023 through his Counsel, Malachy Ugwummadu Esq was commenced through Originating Summons brought Pursuant to: Order 3 Rule 1(1)(b) of the National Industrial Court of Nigeria (Civil Procedure) Rules 2017; Sections 4(1)(a), 2(b); 5(1) of the University Teaching Hospitals (Reconstitution of Boards Etc) ACT CAP. U15 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004 and sections 42(1)(a)(b) & (2) and 254C of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as altered).
Joined in the suit are; the President, Federal Republic of Nigeria, Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Lagos University Teaching Hospital Management Board, Attorney General of the Federation and Professor Wasiu Lanre Adeyemo as 1-5 Defendants.
The Claimant claims against the Defendants for the following reliefs:
“A DECLARATION OF THIS HONOURABLE COURT that this suit arose from the irregularities in the appointment of the 5 Defendant as the Chief Medical Director of the Lagos University Teaching Hospital.
“A DECLARATION OF THIS HONOURABLE COURT that the tenure of the Chairman and Members of Lagos University Teaching Hospital Management Board had expired and lapsed when they embarked on sundry exercises towards the appointment of the 5” Defendant including newspaper advertisements, screening, recommendations contrary to thin Lagos University Teaching Hospitals (fteconstitution of Boards ETC) Act.
“A DECLARATION OF THIS HONOURABLE COURT that the Chairman and Members of the Lagos University Teaching Hospital Management Board having been appointed and inaugurated in March, 2018 for a single term of four (4) years could not have validly appointed the 5” Defendant as an Acting Chief Medical Director of LUTH on the 27th of March, 2023 contrary to the Lagos University Teaching Hospitals (Reconstitution of Boards ETC) Act
“A DECLARATION OF THIS HONOURABLE COURT that the recommendation of the 5” Defendant by the 2 Defendant to the 1 Defendant for appointment as Chief Medical Director of Lagos University Teaching Hospital based on the report of the Interview Panel and Lagos University Teaching Hospital Management Board is illegal, irregular, invalid and contrary to the University Teaching Hospital (Reconstitution of Boards ETC) Act
“A DECLARATION OF THIS HONOURABLE COURT that the appointment of the 5” Defendant as the Acting Chief Medical Director of LUTH few days before the Panel and 2 Defendant’s Interviews for which he was assessed and accorded undue advantage over the Claimant who received none for occupying the same position for a longer cumulative period than the 5th Defendant was unfair, unjust and prejudicial to the Interest of the Claimant as a co-contestant.
“A DECLARATION OF THIS COURT that neither the 2nd Defendant nor the 3rd Defendant has any role whatsoever to play in the appointment of the Chief Medical Director of Lagos University Teaching Hospital yet the 3rd Defendant Management Board through its Secretary and Director of Administration issued the public Advertisement on November, 22 2022 inviting interested candidates to contest for the position while the 2 Defendant himself and through officials of his Ministry conducted elaborate exercises including screening, interviews, groding and oven made recommendation for appointment contrary to the University Teaching Hospital (Reconstitution of Board ETC) Act.
“A DECLARATION that the consideration and grading of the 5 Defendant’s Dr. Pod Degree represented as PhD Postgraduate alification from Germany by the Interview Pond without corresponding consideration of Claimant’s MD (Doctor of Medicine) Postgraduate degree (assessed and accepted as a PhD equivalent) by the National Universities Commission (NUC) and the National Postgraduste Medical College; the consideration and grading of the 5 Defendant for being the Acting Chief Medical Director for less than Twenty (20) days (24 March-12 April, 2023) without a corresponding consideration and grading of the Claimant for the cumulative period of over ninety two (92) days when he functioned as the acting Chief Medical Director; the assessment and grading of grants attracted by the 5 Defendant an assessment or grading for even more grants evidently attracted by the Claimant to LUTH as Acting Chief Medical Director; the undue privilege of elevating the 5 Defendant into the Lagos University Teaching Hospital Management Board by reason of his appointment as Acting Chief Medical Director and graded as such at a time when he was already co contestant and competitor with the Claimant was outrightly discriminatory, a breach of Claimant’s fundamental right and conformed undue advantage to the 5 Defendant who was, at all material times to that short appointment, a co-competitor with the Claimant.
“AN ORDER OF THIS HONOURABLE COURT setting aside the purported appointment of the 5th Defendant as the Chief Medical Director of the Lagos University Teaching Hospital made on the 7 of June, 2023 and directing a fresh appointment of a Chief Medical Director of LUTH for being irregular, unjust illegal and contrary to the University Teaching Hospital (Reconstitution of Boards ETC) Act.”