TIGHT SECURITY IN TAMALE…Police Take Control At Teaching Hospital…Embattled CEO Works From Home
Security has been tightened at the Tamale Teaching Hospital (TTH), following the raging confusion and purported threats by some pro-New Patriotic Party (NPP) vigilante groups to storm the medical institution to forcibly eject the incumbent Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Dr. Prosper Akambong, from office, to pave way for the newly-appointed CEO, Dr. David Zawumya Kolbila.
A senior officer at the Tamale Teaching Hospital told The Chronicle in an interview that some security personnel from the Northern Regional Police Command, the Defence Intelligence Unit of the Ghana Armed Forces, National Security and the Bureau of National Investigations (BNI) were at the hospital to gather intelligence.
The Northern Regional Police Command has since taken over security at the hospital to forestall any clashes, and also protect lives and properties, after two pressure groups clashed at the Kaladan Park on Monday, over who should become the legitimate CEO of the facility. The Police personnel were seen at some vantage points within the hospital premises.
The Chronicle official source at the hospital hinted that Dr. Prosper Akambong, who caused a stir at a handing over ceremony on Monday, had still not given up his decision not to vacate post, until a formal letter had been given to him by the Ministry of Health.
To avoid possible attacks from the NPP Kandahar Boys, who are demanding his immediate removal from office, Dr. Akambong, according to our source, is operating from his residence, though there is heavy security presence around his office.
It would be recalled that Dr. Prosper Akambong, on Monday, refused to hand over to Dr. David Zaawumya Akolbila as the new CEO of the facility, resulting in some disturbances.
Dr. Akambong claimed that he had not received any formal letter from the Ministry of Health to suggest that he had been dismissed or reassigned to another facility.
He, therefore, insisted that he would not vacate his post until such a letter was handed over to him.
This angered some NPP youth (Kandahar Boys), who had come to witness the handing over ceremony. They demanded that Dr. Akambong leave the office with immediate effect to pave way for his replacement.
However, as tension rises, the Health Ministry is said to have accepted responsibility for the ongoing power struggle at the hospital, following the appointment of a successor to the CEO, without the necessary communication.
The Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the Ministry, Robert Cudjo, admitted in a radio interview that a letter should have been sent to Dr. Prosper Akambong reassigning him, before a successor was appointed.
He blamed the situation to miscommunication on the part of the Ministry. He, however, stated that Dr. David Zaawumya Akolbila is the substantive Chief Executive Officer of the Tamale Teaching Hospital, after being appointed in a letter dated May 16, 2017.
The incumbent CEO, Dr. Prosper Akambong, has 16 months to serve his tenure, and he seems to doubt the authenticity of the appointment letter, which instructed him to hand over to Dr. Kolbila.
He served notice that he would not vacate his post until he had received official correspondence determining his fate.
The situation led to a scuffle between a vigilante group affiliated to the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP), Kandahar Boys, who are supporting Dr. Zaawumya Kolbila, and a group calling itself Coalition of Concerned Dagbon Youth, also opposing the supposed incoming CEO's appointment.
Some of the casualties are nursing their wounds, whilst the Northern Regional Coordinating Council tries to resolve the impasse.
From Edmond Gyebi, Tamale