Nasarawa State Governor, Abdullahi A. Sule, has ordered the immediate dismissal and prosecution of staff of Umaisha Hospital in Toto Local Government Area allegedly caught selling medical equipment and relief items donated to the facility.
Sule issued the directive on Wednesday while speaking at the commissioning of ACReSAL heavy-duty equipment in Lafia, following revelations that items donated to the hospital had allegedly been sold by some staff.
The controversy surfaced on Monday after a video circulated on social media showing Sa’ad Ibrahim Abdullahi, a member of the Nasarawa State House of Assembly representing Umaisha/Ugya Constituency, demanding answers from the hospital management over the whereabouts of items he had donated to the facility.
Abdullahi alleged that hospital staff sold 50 fans, 50 orthopaedic mattresses and other items he had donated to improve healthcare services at the facility.
Reacting to the allegation, Governor Sule condemned the development and directed the Commissioner for Health to investigate the matter and ensure that anyone found culpable faces disciplinary and legal action.
“I have already asked the Honourable Commissioner for Health to investigate, to dismiss and fire the hell out of them, and after that, to prosecute them,” Sule said.
“Because firing them to go free will not give us peace of mind until we prosecute them for this inhuman attitude of theirs, to actually allow their people to die when they are enjoying the little money they sold the mattress for. We cannot tolerate that.”
The governor also directed the Head of Service and Chairman of the State Civil Service Commission to ensure that any staff found culpable is dismissed and prosecuted.
Sule stressed that competence alone was not enough to serve in the public sector, insisting that public servants must also demonstrate honesty, integrity and patriotism.
He said these qualities were particularly important in the health sector, where the actions of dishonest personnel could directly endanger human lives.
