Crisis In Sapele Central Hospital Deepens As Panel Recommends Demotion,Transfer For Erring Staff

The crisis rocking Central Hospital Sapele, Delta State, has taken a new dimension as panel set up by Delta State Hospital Management Board to investigate the upheavals have recommended demotion and subsequent transfer for the erring official, Mrs Caroline Azegbo.

Azegbo, an administrative officer is under probe for alleged unlawful conversion of government property and assault of another staff of the hospital, one Lewis Oghueh.

BigPen Online learnt that the recommendations of the 5-man panel headed by Dr. Aragbah is currently generating fresh controversy in the hospital with the said Azegbo allegedly lobbying to quash the report of the panel.

The panel report which was submitted last week to the Medical Director of the Hospital, Dr. Peter Edevbie for onward submission to Delta State Hospital Management Board had recommended punitive action of two steps demotion and transfer for Mrs. Azegbo, whom a source said, ordinarily should face outright dismissal for bringing a third party to assault a staff, in order to serve as a deterrent to others.

But Azegbo was said to have ran to one Ebo Keseme Daniel, Secretary Hospital Service, (SHS), Delta State Hospital Management Board Asaba to not only quash the recommendations, but to transfer some top hospital management staff, who they considered as not cooperative in the current saga.

In a desperate move to allegedly cover their track, the said Ebo transferred the auditor and deputy to Mrs Azegbo, in a move many staff in the hospital termed as vindictive, because the two management staff has refused to be compromised or pocketed like others.

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Mrs. Azegbo who was earlier transferred in November 2017 got the posting withdrawn through the said Ebo who has been accused of collecting kickback from her.

The Auditor and Deputy to Azegbo, were reportedly transfered ostensibly because they queried an alleged monthly remittance to the said Ebo, who call the shots as Secretary Hospital Service, (SHS), Delta State Hospital Management Board.

Ebo, who had reportedly assured Azegbo that the panel report wouldn’t see the light of the day, has also been fingered in alleged attempt to bully some staff who were witness to the January 26, 2018 incident from testifying before the visiting panel constituted by Director Hospital Service, (DHS), Delta State Hospital Management Board.

Our source said some of the staff who witness the incident and had wanted to testify have withdrew for fear of victimization, even the Medical Director, according to our source was not coherent in his presentation when the members of the panel set up by the DHS visited the hospital, “because the administrator also has what she can use to nail him.”

When contacted by one of our correspondents, Ebo in a telephone conversation, dismissed the allegations that he was collecting kickback from Azegbo and may have compromised the panel report, boasting however that he is not afraid of anything or anybody because he is an Asaba man.

Recalled that the crisis started when the hospital administrator’s (Azegbo) car had battery problem and she requested that Oghueh who is incharge of the hospital generator gave her one of the batteries for use.

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Rather than return the battery, allegedly, she unlawfully converted the government property to her own with all efforts by Oghueh to retrieve it failing.

Weeks later, Azegbo was said to have resorted to threat and intimidation of Oghueh whom she had mutual relationship with prior to the release of the said battery to her.

Our source revealed Mrs Azegbo rather than return the battery as requested by Oghueh brought her ‘lover’, who has unhindered access to any part of the hospital to beat him (Oghueh) up when he was trying to explain what transpired to the MD.

According to the source, “Oghueh was called by the MD to come and check the battery in Mrs Azegbo’s car, but before he could say anything, Mr Efe Iyanu, descended on him punching, and slapping him and because it’s against the civil service rule, he couldn’t fight back as he was beaten until he almost passed out, while the MD looked on.

“He was later rushed to the emergency unit of the hospital where medical doctors treated him and was later placed on admission and was discharged after about three days on admission.

Following the misgiving and tension the incident had generated, the Hospital Medical Director who is also at the center of the crisis hurriedly set-up a 5-man administrative panel to investigate the matter.

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BigPen Online earlier reported that the estranged administrator had allegedly infiltrated the panel, and had boasted that nothing will come out of their investigation.

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