Posted on: Fri 27-11-2020

The Imo State Government has ordered the immediate dismissal of Chief Medical Director (CMD) of the Imo State University Teaching Hospital (IMSUTH), Orlu, Dr. B. C. Duru, for alleged padding of employees wage bill.

Briefing journalists after the weekly State Executive Council (EXCO) meeting yesterday in Owerri, Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Declan Emelumba, said the decision followed the council’s adoption of the visitation panel’s report that investigated IMSUTH activities.

He added that Duru and the management of the teaching hospital would be handed over to the police for further investigation of their activities while in office.

Emelumba explained that the CMD, in connivance with others, allegedly took advantage of the change to cut corners by padding the institution’s wage bill from N147 million to N236 million from December 2019 to January 2029.

The commissioner also hinted that the state executive council directed a thorough investigation of the Accounts Department of IMSUTH, wondering why the department’s books had not been audited since 2017.

He also alleged that the management of IMSUTH engaged in illegal payment of clinical and teaching allowances to the administrative members of staff, among others.

In another development, the state executive council approved the revocation of all the illegally acquired Certificate of Occupancy (C of Os) of plots of land on the outskirts of Owerri in line with the panel’s whitepaper report on lands and related matters.

Emelumba disclosed that council ordered the demolition of illegal structures not captured in the original permanent design of New Owerri and restoration of the Arugo and Ekwema layouts to their original master plans.

While the council approved November 30, 2020 for the commencement of construction of the Owerri-Orlu Road, it scheduled December 1, 2020 to begin the construction of seven roundabouts in Owerri to give it the ambience of a capital city.

Source: Guardian

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