Tension in FMC Jalingo Over Appointment of CMD

●Group want New CMD Appointed on Merit, Federal Character

●Iliya Attah top interview with 83.27% Aisha  Adamu got 67.54%

●FG yet to officially announce new CMD 

Taraba Truth and Facts Report

Fresh tension is brewing among medical community at Federal Medical Center, Jalingo over purported appointment of a new Chief Medical Director for the facility.

The tension, it was gathered, followed the information which was widely circulated on social media alleging that the President Muhammadu Buhari-led Federal Government had approved the appointment of Dr Aisha Shehu Adamu as the Medical Director of the state's Federal Medical Centre. 

Although Taraba Truth and Facts gathered that a substantive head is yet to be officially announced, several groups are calling on the Federal Government not to jettison merit and principle of Federal Character in picking a new head for the medical facility.

Taraba Truth and Facts Newspaper gathered that  top four contestants, Dr Nkami Danjuma scored 33.04 per cent; Adamu 67.54 per cent; Dr. Dangana Iliya Attah 83.27 per cent and Dr Rimande Ubandoma 52.88 per cent during an interview for the plum job.

A group, Coalition of Southern Taraba Indigenous Groups, is protesting appointment of Dr. Aisha Shehu Adamu from Taraba North as the new CMD of FMC Jalingo, describing her choice as a violation of federal character principle, injustice and a compromise of merit.

In a petition signed by Shuaibu Shidi and 24 others, the coalition said the current acting Medical Director of FMC Jalingo, Dr. Dangana Iliya Attah, who hails from Taraba South, has the highest scores from the interview conducted for applicants for the advertised position of CMD and not Dr. Aisha.

With the said information, many believe there must be an iota of truth in the appointment with some arguing that such action violates the principle of Federal Character as enshrined by the 1999 Nigerian Constitution as amended, adding that merit had been sacrificed for favoritism. 

The group bemoaned the purported appointment explained that the interview committee constituted by the Federal Ministry of Health (FMOH) for the position had recommended the Acting Medical Director Dr. Dangana Iliya Attah, who is from the Southern Senatorial Zone of the state and came first ahead of other candidates, adding that the news making the rounds contradict the recommendation. 

It added that the Attah's name was subsequently recommended to the Office of the SGF by FMOH with the latter recommending him based on merit to the office of the President, saying the announcement of Adamu's appointment as the substantive MD was surprising and vexatious. 

The group said the profession held merits in high regards, coupled with the facts that the Federal Character Principle recommends the rotation of the posts within deserving zones in the state, thus necessitating the appointment of the right candidates. 

The statement read: "The medical sector as a highly professional and sensitive field is one that places priority without compromise on merit, ensuring that the best and only the best are considered; beginning from the admission process to read medicine in the university. This practice is also extended in the recruitment process as this sector has to do with human life and the Ag. MD is clearly in the lead in this regard. Aside his demonstrated competence by scoring the highest at the interview, he has also served as the Head of Clinical Services of the Hospital for some years with excellent results to show for it, hence managerial experience will also be an added advantage."

The group, further explained that the position of the Medical Director of Federal Medical Centre Jalingo had been zoned to the Northern Senatorial Zone for sixteen (16) years with Dr Balasa Idris serving from 2003 to 2011 while Dr Wiza Inusa served between 2011 to 2019, with both from same ethnic group of Wurukum of Karim Lamido LGA in Northern Senatorial Zone of Taraba State. 

"After the interview, the acting Medical Director having scored the highest marks was supposed to be confirmed as the MD but appointment was purportedly given to Dr Aisha who comes from the same ethnic group, Local Government and Senatorial zone as the last two Medical Directors of the hospital of have served for a total of sixteen (16) years. This development has created a lot of tension within the hospital and state at large, that even members of her ethnic group feel that this is an act of injustice to other ethnic groups in the state.

The Federal Character Principle prohibits sacrificing merit on the altar of zoning i.e no qualified Nigerian that came first and who is eminently qualified for the position will be denied a post and be given to another on the basis of zoning or gender as in this case. The first candidate from Ussa LGA in Southern Senatorial zone came first by a wide margin in addition to the fact that the Southern zone is long overdue to represent us in that capacity only for the position to be purportedly given to the second candidate who is from the Northern Senatorial zone again. In the light of the above, we are convinced that the approving authority was misled to act contrary to the Federal Character Principle which is a constitutional matter," the statement added. 

Furthermore, the group called on relevant authorities to set up a high-powered committee to look into the matter to ensure that the right thing is done to stop this illegality, while the President to reconsider the appointment and allow justice to prevail.