Tension boiled over on Monday at the Neuro-Psychiatric Hospital in Calabar, where protesting staff demanded the appointment of a substantive Chief Medical Director. The workers, under the Senior Staff Association of Universities, Teaching Hospitals, Research Institutes and Associated Institutions, accused the Acting CMD, Dr. Theophilus Osim, of flouting a Federal Ministry of Health directive and ruling the institution with what they described as “executive rascality.”
Chanting solidarity songs and carrying placards, the staff claimed that Dr. Osim, who has been in acting capacity since March 2024, ignored a May 2025 order from the ministry to commence the process for a substantive CMD within six weeks. According to union leaders, instead of obeying the directive, the acting CMD allegedly unleashed victimisation — ranging from arbitrary queries to suspension, stoppage of salaries, and in some cases, detention of staff who spoke against his leadership style.
Union chairman, Ken Bassey, declared that patience had run out, stressing that the ministry’s instructions were clear but had been disregarded. “We have endured enough. The time has come for accountability,” he told journalists during the demonstration.
But Dr. Osim pushed back against the allegations, insisting that due process was being followed. He maintained that the matter was already before the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Health and dismissed claims of high-handedness, describing his actions as lawful. “At the end of the day, we will sit at the table to resolve these issues,” he said while appealing for calm.
The standoff has left the hospital’s atmosphere tense, with staff pressing for transparency and the ministry’s directive to be enforced, even as the acting CMD insists his hands are tied until clearance comes from Abuja.
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