Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly Committee on Finance and Appropriation has summoned the Cadiocare Management Team that was in-charge of the Ibom Specialist Hospital, Uyo, to appear before it or risk further legislative or legal actions.
The House Committee’s reactions followed alleged vandalisation of the hospital’s equipment worth half a billion naira by the recently disengaged Cadiocare Management team.
Speaking with newsmen in Uyo on Monday, Dr. Usoro Akpanusoh, the committee Chairman, said the committee has sent an invitation to the Cadiocare management team to appear with a list of items they took over on resumption, so as to ascertain the worth of missed items to recover them.
Akpanusoh threatened that the state would adopt every approach necessary to ensure that the team cooperates to put the hospital to its original use.
Meanwhile, Akpanusoh said the state ministry of health has handed to his committee, a copy of the Memorandum of Understanding it entered with Cadiocare management team as well as the list of items the team took over from the state.
“My committee wrote to the commissioner for health to send to us the memorandum that was entered with Cadiocare management team, and the list of items that were handed over to him. It might not be under my committee; I am going to make a report, send it to the appropriate committee of the house which is committee for health.”
“The document has just been sent to me. I have also written to Cadiocare management to come to this office with the list of those items they took over from the state government and the list of the ones they handed over to the state government when their business could not continue.
“They should also give us their oral statement of the matter, and they replied to me that they are willing to come, and that they will send those lists to us as soon as possible. We have our procedures. We are not going to use any stick to beat anyone to bring us documents. By the time we write our second letter, we will find out any reasons why they are delaying and if they refuse to come; then we will take it to the floor of the house of assembly for the house to issue a subpoena.
“And the house of assembly can issue a subpoena for arrest of anybody, even if you are abroad. We can send an Interpol for your arrest and send to Akwa Ibom to answer for your errors. I may not be able to conclude specifically the items worth that sum was carted away by Cadiocare until when we hear from both sides, then we will be able to say this is our position. So, we will carry out our investigation and come out with recommendations,” he said.
The chairman assured that if there were some items the team took away, the house must ensure a recovery of such items or a corresponding amount of money to redeem the items and put the hospital back on feet.
