Wike Sacks Commissioner For Hosting Programme Without Permission

Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, has sacked the State Commissioner of Health, Professor Princewill Chike, for not seeking the State government’s approval to host the preliminary session of the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria, MDCN, in Port Harcourt.

The governor described the unilateral decision of the Commissioner to host the MDNC without the consent of the Rivers State Government as most embarrassing.

A statement on Monday by Kevin Ebiri, the Special Assistant to Governor Nyesom Wike on Media, said the governor announced the sack of Professor Chike when the Chairman of the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria, Professor Abba Wasiri Hassan, paid him a courtesy visit at the Government House, Port Harcourt on Monday.

The governor explained that the Rivers State Government never requested to host the preliminary session of Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria in Port Harcourt, stressing that the Commissioner of Health erred to have unilaterally scheduled to host the MDCN event at the same time when the State Government is commissioning and flagging off projects.

“Frankly speaking, I have never seen an embarrassment like this in my life.

“Everybody knows that it is not my nature to bring people and you cannot attend to them or host them. So, whoever has done this will suffer for it.”

Governor Wike said the request by the MDCN that state governors should establish one tertiary hospital in each of their senatorial districts will not be realizable due to the paucity of funds.

“You have talked about siting tertiary hospital in each of the senatorial districts, you know it is not possible.

“That is why in Nigeria we have a problem. When you go for your budget, you put all kinds of projects. You know it cannot work. Where will you get the money to site these in each of the senatorial districts?”

The governor explained that in a bid to improve citizens’ access to quality healthcare service delivery, his administration had embarked on the construction of some zonal hospitals in Bori, Degema, Etche, Ahoada and Omoku.

He further stated that his administration had also invested a huge amount of resources in promoting medical education in the state, particularly, with the establishment of the Rivers State University College of Medical Sciences and the annual award of scholarship to 130 indigenes of the state studying medicine at PAMO University of Medical Sciences.

The Chairman of MDCN, Professor Abba Wasiri Hassan, commended Governor Wike for his positive attitude towards healthcare and medical delivery services in Rivers state, particularly, the huge investment in Rivers State University College of Medical Sciences, award of scholarship to indigenes of the state studying medicine and the construction of a world-class Dr Peter Odili Cancer and Cardiovascular Disease Diagnostic and Treatment Centre in Port Harcourt.