Succession Crisis Hits National Hospital, Abuja

By Ayodele Oni

The National Hospital, Abuja, has been thrown into another succession crisis which has set the Board of the hospital against the Medical Advisory Committee, (MAC).

The Chairperson of the Board of the Hospital, former Speaker, Mrs Patricia Etteh, is reportedly to be at the centre of the current crisis.

This followed the refusal of the Board to honour the established process of appointing the Chairman, Medical Advisory Committee (CMAC)

It was learnt that the tenure of the current CMAC of the hospital, Mrs. Aisha Umar, ended on 5th May, 2021.

In view of the expired tenure of the  CMAC, the Management of the Hospital wrote to the Medical and Dental Consultants’ Association, (MDCAN) of the hospital on 18th May 2021 conveying approval of the Board and Management for the association to conduct an election for a successor to the position of CMAC.

The Directorate of Administration was also directed to supervise the conduct of the election.

Following the letter sent to the Consultant Doctors, the Association was said to have conducted the election on 31st May 2021 among three candidates.

A source within the Board of the Hospital revealed that the election was duly conducted and the name of the winner was sent to the Management and Board.

The source added that the Board was reportedly opposed to the choice of the MDCAN members and expressed the desire to upturn the result of the election.

Following the expression of opposition to the choice of the Association, the Board was said to have introduced an unusual step into the election process by inviting all the candidates that featured in the election for an interview with a  Committee set up by the Board.

The source revealed that one of the candidates, that came third in the election, refused to participate in the interview session held Tuesday, June 22, 2021, insisting that the MDCAN election was free and fair and the result should not be upturned for the progress and peace in the hospital.

It was further gathered that decision of the board has led to agitation among Medical Doctors in the Hospital who have threatened to escalate the case.