By Dayo Johnson
AKURE — The management of the Federal University of Technology Teaching Hospital, Akure (FUTATH), has vowed to prosecute any staff found involved in an alleged employment racketeering scheme linked to the hospital.
In a statement issued by the hospital’s Head of Public Relations, Mr. Tope Fayehun, the management alleged that some individuals posing as hospital officials collected between ₦200,000 and ₦600,000 from job seekers with promises of securing automatic employment at the newly established federal teaching hospital.
According to Fayehun, the victims were issued fake appointment letters purportedly from the former University of Medical Sciences (UNIMED) Teaching Hospital, Akure.
He said available information indicated that unsuspecting applicants paid large sums of money and were later issued fraudulent employment letters.
Fayehun disclosed that some of the victims, whose identities were withheld, are now demanding refunds after discovering they would not be absorbed into the federal establishment as promised.
He further alleged that the ongoing agitation by organised labour may not be solely driven by workers’ welfare concerns but could be connected to attempts by those behind the alleged fraud to divert attention from the allegations.
The hospital spokesman explained that the transition from the former institution to FUTATH is guided by a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Federal Government and the Ondo State Government, which does not provide for the automatic absorption of all staff of the previous institution.
According to him, the hospital’s management could not bypass Federal Government employment guidelines or compromise due process to satisfy external pressure.
Fayehun urged organised labour to carefully examine the facts before supporting any campaign against the hospital, stressing that labour unions should protect workers’ interests rather than become instruments for advancing personal agendas or shielding alleged misconduct.
He said the management would pursue legal action against anyone found involved in the employment scam and would cooperate fully with law enforcement and anti-corruption agencies by providing relevant information for investigation.
Reaffirming the hospital’s commitment to transparency and accountability, Fayehun said FUTATH remains focused on building a world-class tertiary healthcare institution based on merit, due process and the rule of law.
He called on staff, labour unions, stakeholders and members of the public to support ongoing efforts to uncover the truth and allow the appropriate authorities to investigate the matter.
