Hospital defends recruitment of 48 new workers

Prof. Etete Peter, the Chief Medical Director of University of Uyo Teaching Hospital (UUTH), has said that the hospital recruited 48 new employees without advertisement in accordance with the principle of federal character.

Peter made the explanation in a news briefing following complaints by prospective applicants for the posts.

A nurse and prospective applicant, Mrs. Constance Udoimuk, told Newsmen that she was very disappointed.

“It is very frustrating that UUTH, a government hospital, could not advertise for vacancies before recruitment is done.

“I was very hopeful that I would be interviewed at the hospital any time recruitment was done but the hope was dashed last week,” Udoimuk lamented.

Another medical doctor, who did not want his name mentioned, said that he felt very bad that invitation for interview was sent through text messages to few persons.

“I have got my primaries, so I was very hopeful for the job at UUTH but I was not invited for the interview,” he said.

However, the chief medical director said that the management was granted a waiver to select candidates from its pool of applicants.

“It was at the discretion of the Federal Character Commission that we went into the pool and shortlisted candidates.

“The Federal Character Commission has given us certificate of no objection because it was satisfied with what we have done,” he said.

Peter said that out of the 48 new employees, 16 were not Akwa Ibom indigenes, thus reflecting that the institution was a Federal Government establishment.

He said that the recruitment was taken out of the hospital premises to avoid disruption by host communities of Edienne- Ikot and Obio-Imo group of villages.

“We were threatened that they will bring traditional injunction or `juju’, so we had to tread with caution and relocate,” Peter said.

He said that the recruitment was for highly skilled manpower, such as doctors, radiologists and nurses, not for clerical staff.