June 4, (THEWILL)- A socio-political group, Ibom Good Governance Vanguard (IGGV), has expressed dismay over the alleged plot by the Special Assistant (SA) on Health Matters and personal physician to the governor of Akwa Ibom State, Dr Ekem John, to recall his professional colleague from in-service training, authorised by the Civil Service Commission (CSC).
Chat evidence obtained by the group revealed how the governor’s physician had threatened to deal with his colleague by posting him to work under him where he could make life unbearable for his colleague.
He went on to advise his colleague to quit Nigeria and travel to Saudi Arabia for greener pastures as the only means to escape his wrath.
The group alleged that his brazen disregard for the sacred position he is holding as the Personal Physician to the state governor will encourage a brain drain in the healthcare sector, as he has become a clog in the progress of some doctors in AKS.
Speaking in an interview in Uyo, the state capital, the National Coordinator of the group, Comrade Nsima Akwaowo, alleged that the governor’s Aide has been in the habit of exposing official secrets of government, adding that such misdemeanour and wanton display of disrespect to people constitutes abuse of office.
While pleading with the governor to impress on his appointee to tone down on his public conduct and character, Akwaowo noted that “such behaviour is not befitting of a medical doctor, whose profession demands a high sense of ethical compliance and respect to constituted authorities, as well as the public he is serving.
“The governor should call him to order because it appears he has no respect for the office that he is occupying. He talks and treats people with disrespect and sometimes reveals secret meetings and government information and documents.
“We also understand that he is in the habit of putting up such behaviour with his colleagues in the medical profession, where he was said to have proudly told his colleagues that as long as he remains the SSA/Personal Physician to the governor, he is more powerful than the Commissioner for Health and the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) in the State.”
According to sources, the SSA is alleged to have sworn that as long as he remains the SSA to the governor, his Association, the NMA would never meet with the governor to discuss ways of developing the healthcare sector in the State.
“It is unethical for him as a medical doctor to engage in trivial political activities, but Dr John has turned his office in Government House, into an extended office for political meetings, thereby flouting the ethical order as a medical doctor and personal physician to the governor. It is on record that he is the first Personal Physician to the governor of AKS with such a level of arrogance and audacity to influence the State Civil Service Commission.
“In all of these ugly dispositions, Dr John appears to have succeeded in giving a false impression that his actions and inactions are being supported by the governor, whom we know as a father that would not tolerate such inappropriate, unethical and debased attitude, utterances and conduct from any of his appointees.
“By these displays of unprofessional conduct in public office, he has made a mess and mockery of the exalted office and position of personal physician to the governor.
Efforts to reach him failed, as he was said to have been recuperating in an undisclosed hospital for injuries he sustained in a recent attack by hoodlums at a meeting in Cross River State, but one of his close colleagues in the State NMA, who preferred to remain anonymous, denied the allegations, maintaining that “Dr Ekem, that I know cannot be involved in these sorts of allegations.”
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