Ex-Kogi Head of Service Dissociates Self from Forgery

A former Head of Service in Kogi State, Dr. Sabainah Atta, has told a Lokoja Chief Magistrate Court, that she did not authorise a petition written against the Management of the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Lokoja.

Atta who spoke while giving evidence in a case of forgery brought by the Police against the Chairman of the Kogi State Elders Forum, Mr. Julius Elukpo, said that the petition dated July 7, 2016 and addressed to the Minister of Health, was without her knowledge and approval.

She said that the accused used her name to write the petition without her consent, saying that there was never a time, when members of the forum decided to write a petition against the management of the hospital.

The witness who spoke while being led in evidence by the Police Prosecutor, Mr. Theophilus Oteme, admitted that members of the forum actually met and agreed in principle that the next Chief Medical Director of the FMC, should be an indigene.

Consequently, she said that Elukpo in his capacity as the Chairman of the forum, was instructed to write a letter to the Minister of Health, on the need for him to consider an indigene for the position.

She stated that she was taken aback, when her attention was called to a petition allegedly written by her and two other persons, against the Management of the FMC. Atta said she promptly wrote the Management of the FMC, to dissociate herself from the petition which alleged massive corruption and mismanagement, among other allegations against the Management.

She told the court that, she wrote another letter to Elukpo to dissociate herself from the petition, but said she was shocked when the accused admitted the contents of the petition, and also heaped insults on her. Atta told the court, to take special note of Elukpo’s reaction to her letter, and the insults heaped on her, saying that she earned her honour and integrity on merit.

Oteme had earlier called the current Chief Medical Director and the immediate past Chief Medical Director of the FMC, Dr. Olatunde Alabi and Dr. Debo Eleshin, as witnesses in the case.

In their submissions, both Alabi and Eleshin said that a copy of the petition was sent to the FMC by the Federal Ministry of Health, Abuja for reaction.

Few days after, Eleshin said he sighted Atta in the hospital premises, and engaged her in a discussion on the allegations contained in her petition to the Ministry.