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Job racketeering: Ex-OAUTH CMD, Olumuyiwa Owojuyigbe recruited excess 1,973 workers — FG alleges

OAU Dismisses Lecturer For Alleged Assault

An investigative panel set up by the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare on Sunday revealed why some health workers at the Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospital, Ile-Ife, Osun State, have been unpaid.

The investigative panel led by Dr. Aderemi Azeez found that the former Chief Medical Director of the hospital, Dr Olumuyiwa Owojuyigbe, was involved in over-employment and job racketeering in the hospital without provision in the personnel budget.

The panel disclosed that Dr. Owojuyigbe employed over 1,973 staff in the hospital as against the 450 vacancies waiver granted in the 2022 employment by the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation.

Some health workers had tackled the management of OAUTH for allegedly subjecting them to penury over 10 months of unpaid salaries.

They lamented that they resorted to begging to feed their families due to the hardship the non-payment of salaries has subjected them to.

The Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof Muhammad Pate, on his verified X handle @muhammadpate on October 13, however, stated that an investigation had been completed on the matter.

“We are addressing the OAUTH situation. The investigation has just been completed on this unfortunate situation. We understand the difficulties being faced by numerous innocent health workers and will do our best to resolve it equitably,” he tweeted.

In a statement signed by the Director of Press at the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, Patricia Deworitshe, the ministry said that it waded into the matter to set the record straight.

The statement titled, ‘OAUTH Ife and the unrest,’ noted that the unrest is attributed to the alleged job racketeering and over-employment saga under Dr Owojuyigbe, which the ministry termed “flagrant abuse of extant rules and regulations.”

The statement partly read, “The hospital conducted the exercise in two phases (230 and 220) after securing approval of the Federal Character Commission not to advertise the posts.

“During the first phase, the hospital recruited 600 instead of 230, and a total of 1,823 staff members were recruited in the second phase instead of 220.

“At the end of the two phases, the hospital recruited 2,423 staff instead of 450. As such, 1,973 staff members were recruited in excess of the approved waiver.”

The report by the investigative panel further showed that the 450 workers waiver granted to OAUTH was for the recruitment of clinical staff, but only 55 clinical staff were employed, while others were non-clinical staff.

“The outcome of the recruitment exercise also revealed that OAUTH has a staff strength of 7,279 (out of which 3,034 were clinical staff and 4,245 were non-clinical staff; this translates to a non-clinical staff ratio of approximately 1:1 instead of the recommended 3:1, that is three clinical to one non-clinical).

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Suspected Boko Haram kill two vigilantes, 10 firewood fetchers in Borno

Two vigilantes and ten firewood fetchers in Bokko Ghide community, Gwoza local government area of Borno state have been killed by suspected Boko Haram terrorists.

Alhaji Mohammed Shehu Timta, the Emir of Gwoza, confirmed the incident, explaining that the vigilantes (Civilian JTF) were ambushed and killed by the assailants along Kirawa road under Pulka District.

He also explained that the 10 other victims were those who went into the bush in search of firewood.

The Emir stated that they (firewood fetches) went to a nearby bush in search of firewood on Saturday when the boys (insurgents) ambushed them and killed ten and left 2 with life threatening injuries.

He said that they buried the 10 and evacuated the injured victims to Maiduguri for medical attention.

According to him, “It’s very sad that two of my Civilian JTF members, who sacrificed their lives for my people, were also killed on Friday.”

He prayed to God to reward their sacrifices and grant them Janatul Firdaus, and give their family and the community the fortitude to bear the loss.

While commending the state government and the military for their relentless effort in dealing with the Boko Haram insurgency, he added that they have been doing their best in managing the crisis for over a decade.

He, however, wants the military to deploy technological warfare like drones and other sophisticated weapons to end the crisis.

The Emir observed that the rainy season is about to set in and the people are now scared to visit their farmlands.

The attacks came barely 48 hours after President Bola Ahmed Tinubu sent the Minister of Defense, Badaru Abubakar, Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Christopher Musa, and other top military commanders to assess the security situation in Borno State.

The Minister of Defence, had assured that the Federal Government would provide more military support to deal with the security challenges in Borno and the northeast

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Father and son allegedly poisoned to death in Ebonyi

A middle-aged man, popularly known as Uncle Light, and his son, Miracle, were allegedly poisoned to death in Ebonyi State.

The incident happened at Ebebe Junction in Abakaliki on Wednesday, April 23, 2025.

It was gathered that the victims were living with a woman who reportedly moved in with the man after divorcing her husband earlier this year.

The woman is suspected of having poisoned the food they ate

Police operatives arrived at the compound with a man who identified himself as the brother of the woman in question.

He told police that his sister was ill and currently in custody.

Another resident, who also pleaded anonymity because he was not authorised to talk.

“I heard a loud voice in the middle of the night and I told my wife that something was happening in our neighbourhood. At a point, we thought it was noise from church people doing their programme. It was early in the morning that we saw the son struggling and writhing in pain and came outside the gate,” the source said.

“He was crying for water. A friend provided him with water before he suddenly d!ed. We are suspecting diarrhoea, but it’s for an autopsy to confirm what k!lled him.”

The bodies have been evacuated by the police. (Punch)

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‘We are with you’- Oyebanji assures Ekiti people after heavy rainstorm

The Governor of Ekiti State, Mr Biodun Oyebanji has sympathised with the people of the state over the havoc wreaked by rainstorm in some parts of the state on Saturday.

The storm affected many private and public buildings as well as facilities across the state. However, no life was lost.

Moved by the development, the Governor has directed the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) to immediately commence an assessment of properties that were affected with a view to assisting the victims.

While assuring the people of the state that they would not be left alone at this critical period, Governor Oyebanji urges the people of the state to remain calm and go about their daily activities without any fear, while Government takes inventory of the damaged properties and facilities with a view to responding appropriately.

“We are in it together”, the Governor assures the people in a statement signed by his Special Adviser on Media, Yinka Oyebode, and made available to newsmen in Ado-Ekiti on Saturday evening.

“The Biodun Oyebanji administration is committed to the welfare and wellbeing of the people of the state and will not leave any stone unturned in providing timely succor to the victims of the rainstorm”, the statement added.