Phantom Criminal Case Orchestrated by agents of the MD of Federal Neuro-Psychiatric Hospital Uselu, Dr. Sunday Osasu Olotu thrown out in court.

Edo court acquits embattled Uselu Psychiatric Hospital staff

After three years of trial on alleged felony and other criminal allegations, the Egor Magistrate Court 2 in Benin City, Edo State Capital has acquitted four staff of the Federal Neuro-Psychiatric Hospital, hinging its judgment on the fact that the prosecution could not prove its case.

Delivering his ruling, Magistrate Williams I. Aziegbemhin said the prosecuting counsel failed to prove his case and therefore; acquitted the four accused, warning that all parties should abide by the judgment or face penalties.

The accused are Dr O. C. Ikeji, Mrs O.U. Morgan, Dr Orhiakhi and Mr O. Akerele, with case charge No-MEG/201c/14/. They were accused of stealing a file from one Ms T.I. Agho, belonging to the Edo State Post Primary Education Board.

It would be recalled that the same court had in 2015 struck out a case of felony and padlocking the main entrance to the hospital with a key and chain on November 12, 2014, brought against a consultant psychiatrist with the hospital, Dr. Ambrose Lawani, over the inability of the prosecutors to prove their case, which was instituted December 2014.

The magistrate said the IPO, ASP Dumpe Donaka agreed he did visit the scene of the crime, noting that he only visited the place but did not investigate.

The accused persons have been under suspension and purported sack right from the day the matter was brought before the court.

Guardianng

PRESS STATEMENT ON THE VINDICATION OF THE FNPH-USELU 4+1; VIDE A COURT JUDGEMENT DELIVERED AT THE EGOR MAGISTRATE COURT NO: 2, ON THURSDAY THE 13TH DAY OF JULY 2017.

“We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; Persecuted, but not forsaken: cast down, but not destroyed; Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body”, KJV 2nd Corinthians 4:8-10.

Protocol

Gentlemen of the press distinguished ladies and gentlemen. We appreciate your esteemed presence at this press briefing holding in respect of the vindication of Ms. O.U Morgan (Assistant Director/Head Social Welfare Unit FNPH-Uselu), Dr O.C. Ikeji (Immediate Past Acting Medical Director/Consultant Psychiatrist Special Grade I FNPH-Uselu), Mr. Onero Akerele (Aide to Dr.Ikeji), Dr. A. O Lawani (Immediate Past Head of Clinical Services and Training/Head Residency Training Programme/Forensic Unit/Consultant Psychiatrist Special Grade II FNPH-Uselu/Vice Chairman NMA Edo State, 2008-2010) and Pharm O. Oriakhi (Principal Pharmacist/Head Quality Control Unit FNPH-Uselu/President Psychiatric Hospital Uselu Staff Multipurpose Cooperative Society/Secretary Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria Edo State Branch) as evidenced by our discharge and acquittal in the Case with Charge No:MEG/201C/2014/A, by the Egor Magistrate Court No. 2, in Benin.

Background

The phantom case in question was orchestrated by the cohorts of Dr. Sunday Osasu Olotu with the active connivance of the defunct Board of Management of Federal Neuro-Psychiatric Hospital Uselu (FNPH-Uselu) Chaired by Dr (Mrs) Abieyuwa Patricia Osemwenkha. The seed for our troubles was sown by Dr. (Mrs) Olabisi Feyisayo Ihenyen, the Immediate Past Medical Director of FNPH-Uselu who was indicted by a Panel from the Federal Ministry of Health (Chaired by Rabi Adamu mni) in 2011, for short listing an absconder, Dr S.O Olotu as a candidate for the post of Medical Director of FNPH-Uselu. Dr (Mrs) O.F Ihenyen, Dr (Mrs) A.P Osemwenkha and Dr Wapada Balami(the Director of Hospital Services ;Federal Ministry of Health during the period) were indicted in the report for the flawed appointment of a compromised candidate, Dr. S. O Olotu as Medical Director. A careful perusal of the True Certified Copy of the Panel Report reveals the following:

1).That “Dr.S.O Olotu actually admitted to have left for Britain since December, 2007, without obtaining any approval before proceeding on Study Leave Without Pay, punishable under PSR 030402 (e)”[/b]see B(i)Pg4.

2).That “Dr.S.O Olotu later applied for the Study Leave Without Pay while in the UK through a letter dated 19th March,2008.The Leave took effect from 19th March,2008.This is punishable under [b]PSR 030413,LIABLE TO DISMISSAL FROM SERVICE” see B(ii)Pg4.

3).That “Dr.S.O Olotu kept receiving salary fraudulently till May; 2008.His salary was stopped after receiving May 2008 salary a clear violation of PSR 100228(a)Pg4.

4).That “every step surrounding his foreign study, promotion and consideration for the post of Medical Director was characterized by anomalies suggestive of favouritism from the former Medical Director ;Dr.(Mrs) Olabisi Feyisayo Ihenyen” see B(vi)Pg5.

5).That “both the former Medical Director (Dr.Mrs Olabisi Feyisayo Ihenyen) and the Board Chairman (Dr.Mrs Abieyuwa Patricia Osemwenkha) erred by organizing and commissioning the projects after the expiration of their tenures” see D (i) Pg5.

6).That “the borehole was actually over-inflated at the cost of over Nine Million Naira (N9m).The sight value is not more than Two Million Naira (N2m)” see D(iii) Pg6.

7).That “Hon.Friday Itulah was not in the best position to effect the commissioning ceremony, but rather, the Honourable Minister of Health (Professor Christian Onyeabuchi Chukwu), or the Honourable Minister of State for Health (Dr. Ali Pate)” see D (ii) Pg6.

8 ).That “structural defects and substandard fittings were actually sighted at both completed and uncompleted buildings” see D (vi) Pg6.

9).That “the name of Hon. Friday Itulah was engraved in all the commissioning plaques instead of the Hon. Minister of Health or Hon. Minister of State for Health” see D (vii) Pg6.

10).That “the Board Members actually collected N100, 000:00 each meant for buying GSM Handsets a phenomenon termed the “Last Supper” by some petitioners” see F (ii) Pg6.

11).That “evidence abounds on general mal-administration of the hospital by the erstwhile Medical Director (Dr.Mrs Olabisi Feyisayo Ihenyen)” see F (iii) Pg6.

12).That “in view of all the anomalies and acts of misconduct on his part, Dr.S.O Olotu should be disqualified from being considered for the post of Medical Director” see B (i) Pg7.

13).That “Dr.S.O Olotu should return the salaries he fraudulently received back to government coffers with immediate effect” see B (ii) Pg7.

14).That “the Federal Ministry of Health should issue him a query bordering on circumstances surrounding his controversial Study Leave Without Pay” see B (iii a & iii b) Pg7.

15).That “the Federal Ministry of Health should recall the former Medical Director (Dr. (Mrs) Olabisi Feyisayo Ihenyen) to answer questions on her motive for neglecting the Honourable Minister(Professor Christian Onyeabuchi Chuckwu) and inviting Hon.Itulah to commission the projects” D (i) Pg8.

[b]One of those who framed us (Mr. Efe Stewart) was employed as a Contract Administrative Officer II (Public Relations Officer), in 2011 few weeks to the expiration of the tenure of Dr.(Mrs) O.F Ihenyen as Medical Director, for reasons best known to her against the provisions of the Public Service Rules, 2008. Another individual who was used to frame us was Ms Taiwo Ifueko Agho a former Administrative staff of Edo State Post Primary Education Board (Edo SPPEB) who made an inappropriate transfer of service to FNPH-Uselu as Assistant Chief Social Welfare Officer (without any cognate experience as a Social Welfare Officer) and was promoted six(6)months later to the post of Chief Social Welfare Officer under the watch of Dr. S. O Olotu and the Dr.(Mrs) A.P Osemwenkha led Immediate Past defunct Board of FNPH- Uselu. The cohorts of Dr.S.O Olotu, Mr. Efe Stewart and Ms T.I Agho recruited a suborn witness, one Mr. Sunday Adeche a driver with the Edo SPPEB to bear false witness against us to the effect that we made an attempt to “steal” the official records of Ms T.I Agho from Edo SPPEB.[/b] The then Divisional Police Officer (DPO) of Okhoro Division allegedly refused their pleadings that the matter be charged to court, because their allegations were frivolous and could not be substantiated. A couple of days thereafter the DPO was transferred out of Okhoro Division and a petition was preferred against us by Barr Edoba Omoregie to the then Assistant Inspector General(AIG) of Police Zone 5, Mr. Musa Daura. In the course of investigation by the Police, we were invited to the office of the AIG Zone 5 on the 5th day of November 2014. We were shocked when some of us were hurled to the court same day without thorough investigations for reasons best known to the IPO AIG Zone 5, ASP Dumpe Bonaka. ASP Dumpe Bonaka under the heat of cross examination agreed that he never interviewed the custodians of the official records of Ms T.I Agho at Edo SPPEB (the scene of “crime”) to confirm if there was any attempt to steal her file, he retorted “I only visited the place but I did not investigate”. Furthermore ASP Dumpe Bonaka did not also investigate our alibi as documented in our statements that we were at our respective duty posts on the dates in question for reasons best known to him.

For the records Dr S.O Olotu hurriedly convened a meeting of the Board of Management of FNPH-Uselu(Chaired by Dr.(Mrs) A.P Osemwenkha)between 3rd-6th of November 2014,around the period the case was charged to court to rubber stamp his acts of gross impunity and administrative rascality. The then Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Health, Mr.Linus Awute was informed that the case was phantom but he chose to “look the other way”.

On the day we were charged to court (5th November, 2014) one Festus Alenkhe a staff of Edo State Broadcasting Service Television (EBS TV) aired some recorded events within the court premises same day during the News Bulletin and for some weeks thereafter during a programme “Crime Watch” anchored by him on EBS TV, without giving us any opportunity to tell our side of the story. He prepared his report in such a manner that we appeared “guilty” to even reasonable members of the public. Festus Alenhke tried us in the Media!!! We hope he will do himself some good and save his reputation as a Journalist by also copiously reporting our discharge and acquittal by the Court. We had expected that as a crime reporter Festus Alenkhe, ought to have known that the Nigerian Judicial system is adversarial and that we ought to have been presumed innocent until the Courts proves otherwise.

The case that began in November 2014 and took nearly three (3) years for judgement to be delivered was due to the copious deployment of a cornucopia of overt and covert delay tactics by the prosecution. The latter scenario was a grave affront on the spirit and letter of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act 2015(ACJA 2015). Our traducers hired a counsel Barr M.O Iguodala to write a petition against Chief Magistrate Mrs Igho Braimoh who was initially handling the case, for reasons best known to them. The case was reassigned and thereafter they deployed further delay tactics by waiting for several weeks for response to the application for fiat from the Immediate Past Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice Edo State Barr Henry Idahagbon. Our counsel, the erudite Barr Olayiwola Afolabi was even threatened within the court premises by Mr.Efe Stewart while the case was still in the Court of His Worship Chief Magistrate Mrs Igho Braimoh. We were informed that Dr S.O Olotu allegedly threatened to appeal the case if it the outcome does not favour him. We are not afraid of him going on appeal because our hands are clean, but only dare to say that this is a part of his comprehensive disingenuous, wicked and evil plot to keep us out of service. THIS MUST NOT BE ALLOWED IN AN ERA OF CHANGE.

In the light of the foregoing we are consoled by the exhortation of the Prophet Jeremiah; “But the lord is with me as a mighty terrible one: therefore my persecutors shall stumble, and they shall not prevail: they shall not prosper: their everlasting confusion shall never be forgotten” (KJV Jeremiah 20:11).
To God be the glory, the phantom case manufactured by our traducers which has been the tool of blackmail used to illegally keep us out of service, has become impotent. We call on the Federal Ministry of Health to immediately reinstate us and pay us all our outstanding arrears of promotion, relativity allowance and salaries forthwith.

Appreciation

We appreciate God Almighty for making us and our families to witness this day. We appreciate the clergy and our families, friends and well wishers for their prayers, immense support and understanding. We are grateful for the services provided by our Legal team led by the indefatigable and irrepressible Barr Olayiwola Afolabi and Barr Ofure Mercy Asuma. We thank Comrade Alema-Ozioruva Aliu, Mr.Isaac Olamikan, Mr.Akeem Oguntayo, Mr. Cajetan Mamuna, Mr. Monday Ebalu, Mr. Peter Okonkwo and other courageous distinguished practitioners of the fourth estate of the realm for reporting our predicament at no cost despite the intimidation and threats by Dr. S.O Olotu and his agents vide letters, advertorials and press releases in the print and electronic media. We acknowledge the kind concern and action of the Network of Civil Society Organisations of Nigeria (NOCSON) led by the erudite Barr Abraham Oviawe, who were pained by the human rights abuses, maladministration, corruption and gross impunity perpetrated under the watch of Dr. S.O Olotu. We appreciate the concern of Dr. (Sir) Kayode Obembe Immediate Past President NMA, Prof Afekhide Omoti(Immediate Past Chairman Edo NMA) and Prof Mike Ozovehe Ogirima(President NMA).We thank the Judiciary for remaining the last hope of the common man.

Conclusion

Finally we appreciate your presence at this press briefing. We are grateful for the opportunity given to us to tell the story of the gross human rights violation, injustice and abuse of power we experienced as Public Servants. For the records this is the second phantom criminal case against some of us that has collapsed. The first phantom case with Charge No:MEG/233C/2014, was manufactured by Dr.S.O Olotu when he instructed one Mr.Daniel Osadolor Efese the then Acting Head of Administration to prefer a petition filled with tissues of lies against some of us to the Police. The matter was charged to court but was struck out by the Egor Magistrate Court No. 2, on the 21st day of December 2015. Furthermore we wish to place on record the abduction of some of us by policemen from Force Criminal Investigation Department (FCID) Alagbon who were on illegal duty on the 29th day of July 2015.Our abduction was based on the strength of a frivolous petition orchestrated by a crony of Dr S.O Olotu. The intervention of the then Inspector General of Police, Dr.Solomon Arase saved us from the wicked plot of Dr.S.O Olotu.

From the foregoing Dr.S.O Olotu has grossly diminished and besmeared the respect and dignity of the office of Medical Director. We believe the Judgement delivered today has gone a long way to restore our reputation in the eyes of the public. We hope and pray that this will be the last time the head of a Government Institution in Nigeria will abuse the apparatus of their office and the State by using them to intimidate their imaginary enemies. The ball is now in the court of the Federal Government and the Federal Ministry of Health. We anticipate our immediate re-instatement under legitimate expectation.

Thanks for your audience.

Long live FNPH-Uselu,
Long live the Federal Republic of Nigeria,
To God be the Glory.