UCTH Board Members leave Prof ikpeme to his fate
Emmanuel Alfred
The Board members of the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital (UCTH) have distanced itself from the allegations labelled against the embattled Chief Medical Director( CMD), Prof. Ikpeme Ikpeme and the management board, over the misappropriation of 200 million Naira.
The allegations as we gather were raised by a Law firm based in Calabar, SHOLA GABRIEL & CO, through its counsel, NELSON LOUISA (Esq.), calling for the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) and the Federal Ministry of Health to come in and save the Tertiary Hospital.
However, Some of the board members who spoke with newsmen on Monday, September 12, 2022, in Calabar feigned ignorance of the petition while others said they can not comment on the matter, since they were also invited to give further explanation to the antigraft agencies.
According to one of the petitions, a N39 million naira contract was awarded for a project that had previously been executed.
Segun Omolara, one of the board members who spoke with newsmen said he was not aware of any petition until now. “I am seeing these petitions for the first time and I won’t be able to make any comment because of the second prayer that calls for the invitation of the Board Members for clarification”.
Another who spoke under the condition of anonymity said he has read one of the petitions but cannot speak on the issue of re-awarding of contracts, adding, “I have gone through one of the petitions and I cannot readily speak on the issue of re-awarding of a particular contract you raised until I go through the minutes of the board meeting.
“If the contract award passed through the board, it will definitely be there but as I speak, I am in Lagos and not in Calabar and as such, I can not check the minutes now”.
Meanwhile, some of the board members said that they would be having a meeting as a board in a few days. They said there will be further clarifications after the meeting, adding that they cannot comment on anything for now.
