Dare Babalola
The House of Representatives has called on the Federal Government to immediately suspend Prof Ikpeme Ikpeme, Chief Medical Director of the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital, pending investigation into allegations of ethnic bias in the hospital’s resident doctor recruitment process.
The call was made after a motion of urgent public importance, moved by Iduma Igariwey, the member representing Afikpo South/Afikpo North, Ebonyi State, was adopted by the House on Thursday.
Igariwey, moving the motion, referenced media reports claiming Prof Ikpeme turned away 17 newly graduated doctors posted to UCTH by the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria for their mandatory housemanship, citing alleged ethnic bias.
The lawmaker stated that 15 of the 17 affected doctors are Igbo, and despite appeals from the National Association of Resident Doctors and the Nigerian Medical Association, Cross River branch, Prof Ikpeme allegedly refused to reconsider his decision.
“Prof Ikpeme has stood his ground to reject the list on account of the high number of Igbo applicants therein,” Igariwey said.
He warned that the alleged action amounted to a violation of constitutional provisions prohibiting discrimination.
“The House is alarmed that by rejecting a bona fide list of medical doctors sent to him by the regulatory body, on ground of tribe/region, Prof Ikpeme is in dangerous violation of the 1999 constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria that seeks to protect citizens from discrimination on account of tribe and tongue,” he said.
Igariwey further expressed concern that the development was worsening the crisis in Nigeria’s already overstretched health sector.
“The House is concerned that Prof Ikpeme’s conduct is further compounding the challenges confronting our health care system, and the efforts of the current administration, being that Nigeria’s fragile health care system is facing a critical manpower deficit, as the number of licensed doctors has dropped to about 40,000, far below the estimated 300,000 needed to adequately serve Nigeria’s health care needs (see PUNCH Healthwise Report).
“We frown at the conduct of this highly placed federal officer that encourages brain drain in the health sector, and more importantly, further fractures the delicate ethnic fault lines of our union, leading to divisiveness, insecurity and instability,” he added.
The allegations against Prof Ikpeme are set against ongoing concerns from medical associations and civil society groups about perceived bias in some federal institutions, especially in recruitment and training placements.
In the case of UCTH, reports surfaced alleging that the CMD rejected the MDCN-posted doctors solely because they were predominantly Igbo, raising concerns about ethnic bias in a federally funded institution expected to reflect national diversity.
The controversy has drawn criticism from professional bodies, with stakeholders warning that selective acceptance of house officers based on ethnic considerations undermines merit, national cohesion and the integrity of medical training in Nigeria.
Observers have also noted that such actions, if proven, could discourage young doctors from remaining in the country at a time when Nigeria is grappling with large-scale emigration of health professionals.
At the plenary session presided over by the Speaker, Dr Tajudeen Abbas, lawmakers unanimously supported the motion, resolving that the CMD be suspended with immediate effect.
The House said the suspension was necessary “to ensure he does not interfere with the investigation to be conducted by the Committee on Health Institutions.”
The Committee was mandated to probe the allegations and report back to the House within four weeks for further legislative action.
