Rivers State governor, Nyesom Wike has sacked the state Commissioner for Health, Professor Princewill Chike.
The commissioner was sacked for not seeking the state government’s approval to host the preliminary session of the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria, MDCN, in Port Harcourt, the state capital.
The governor described the decision of the commissioner to host the MDCN without the consent of the state government as most embarrassing.
Governor Wike announced the sacking of Professor Chike when the Chairman of the MDCN, Professor Abba Wasiri Hassan paid him a courtesy visit at the Government House, Port Harcourt on Monday.
The governor explained that the state government never requested to host the preliminary session of MDCN in Port Harcourt, stressing that the health commissioner erred to have unilaterally scheduled to host the event at the same time state government is inaugurating and flagging off of projects.
“Frankly speaking, I have never seen an embarrassment like this in my life. Everybody knows that it is not my nature to bring people and you cannot attend to them or host. So, whoever has done this will suffer for it,” he said.
Wike also said the request by the MDCN that state governors should establish one tertiary hospital in each of their senatorial districts will not be realisable due to the paucity of funds.
“You have talked about siting tertiary hospital in each of the senatorial districts, you know it is not possible. That is why in Nigeria we have a problem. When you go for your budget, you put all kinds of projects. You know it cannot work. Where will you get the money to site this in each of the senatorial districts,” he said.
The governor explained that in a bid to improve citizens access to quality healthcare service delivery, his administration has embarked on the construction of some zonal hospitals in Bori, Degema, Etche, Ahoada and Omoku.