The management of the Federal Medical Center, FMC, Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, has issued a three days ultimatum to the Center for Anti-Corrupption and Open Leadership, CACOL, over a N100m fraud allegation levelled against the management of the Center.

The management, in a statement signed by the Head, Public Relations and Information of the Center, Segun Orisajo, on behalf of the Medical Director, Professor Adewale Musa-Olomu, asked the CACOL to retract the allegation or face court action.

CACOL was said, according to the statement, to have petitioned the ICPC and the EFCC alleging diversion of N100m compensation fund meant for the Ajibayo villagers whose lands were acquired for the proposed University of Medicine and Medical Sciences in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital.

The anti-corruption organization was quoted to have alleged ‘failure to show due process in the financial management of the Center, alleging that no recourse was made to the Center on the veracity of the allegation.

The Center however described the allegation asmlaughable, charade, frivolous and smacks of desperate attempts by some disgruntled elements to malign the cherished and jealously guarded character of officers so named in the petition.

FMC explained that due process was strictly followed in the financial issues surrounding the payment of the compensation, adding that same was supervised and monitored by Ogun State Bureau of Lands and Survey and the Ministry of Agriculture.

The statement read, “The Management would ordinarily have ignored the petition and the subsequent sponsored publications for lack of substance but on the other hand chose to set the records straight for the benefit of numerous Nigerians who believed in the integrity, godly virtues, transparency and impeccable character of the individuals mentioned in the publications.

“Contrary to the make-belief spurious allegations by the CACOL, due process was indeed strictly followed in all financial issues surrounding the payment of compensation to the affected Ajibayo villagers about two years ago.

“For the avoidance of doubts, the Ogun State Bureau of Lands and Survey and Ministry of Agriculture supervised the presentation of Cheques to the Ajibayo beneficiaries in the full glare of Print and Electronic media practitioners.  Substantial evidences abound to substantiate this statement.

“The Management has therefore urged members of the public to disregard the petition and publications as concocted falsehood, fallacious, baseless, fabricated lies and far from the truth.

“Similarly, the management has warned individuals and groups who are behind the latest ignominious act to find something worthwhile doing rather than engaging in the fruitless race of shadow chasing.”

The statement further quoted the Secretary to the Heads of the villagers who so benefitted from the money as describing the same petition as malicious action with a mission to blackmail.

“This fact was further corroborated by the Secretary to the Heads of Ajibayo Village and environs, Mr Taiwo Olukunle Abdul Quadir who vehemently dismissed in its entirety the allegations of impropriety being leveled against the Medical Director and two of his directors. 

“The Secretary described the petition and publications as malicious action with the mission to blackmail the good name of the Medical Director and his subordinates. 

“I see this move as a regrettable act of rewarding diligence, truthfulness and transparency of the Medical Director who organized the presentation of cheques to all of us in an elaborate occasion supervised by the relevant Ministry and Agency in Ogun State with the full Media coverage. Nothing was shady in the whole exercise.”