By Abdul Lauya
The newly appointed Chief Medical Director of NAOWA Hospital, Colonel A.S. Ayeni, has attempted to distance himself from the rot earlier exposed in Eye Reporters’ investigative report titled “Inside NAOWA Hospital: NHIS Fraud, Neglect, Staff Decay.”
Speaking exclusively to Eye Reporters, Col Ayeni disclosed that he assumed duty on August 29, 2025, long after most of the irregularities detailed in the report had taken root. Although he declined to directly name his predecessor as responsible for the lapses, he pleaded that this reporter should not mention it, explaining that his predecessor remains his superior and currently serves as the Corps Commander, Nigerian Army Medical Services (NAMS).
“I resumed on 29 August, and I met things in a very bad shape. Most of the issues you reported were not under my watch,” he stated. “But I have already started putting things in place to restore order, professionalism, and respect for patients, because to me, patients come first.”
While Col Ayeni’s claim of inheriting the hospital’s decay may appear convenient, Eye Reporters’ findings show that he is chasing shadows and attempting to deflect responsibility for ongoing lapses that have occurred squarely under his watch. His repeated reference to his recent assumption of duty appears more like an excuse to mask his lack of command control and administrative grip, especially as new evidence shows that the hospital’s culture of neglect has persisted into his tenure.
In what seems like a desperate attempt to appear as a reform-minded manager, Col Ayeni sought to heap the entire blame on his predecessor, his current superior, while pretending to be the face of a new beginning. Ironically, by asking Eye Reporters not to quote him on his remarks about the former CMD because of rank sensitivity, he betrayed a penchant for self-preservation and cheap point-scoring rather than genuine accountability.
Col Ayeni acknowledged the accuracy of Eye Reporters’ earlier findings and confirmed that many of the challenges identified, ranging from staff negligence to administrative decay, were real and pressing.
He revealed that steps were already underway to address some of those gaps, including the ongoing process of absorbing civilian doctors and nurses into the Ministry of Defence (MOD) structure, a move he believes will boost discipline, motivation, and efficiency.
However, in a twist that undermines his own claims of innocence, the new CMD admitted that the nurses and doctors on duty during the incident captured in the Eye Reporters undercover report, specifically in the General Male Ward where this reporter was also a patient on Saturday, October 18, 2025, had already appeared before a Board of Inquiry. The incident involved a serving soldier being managed for diabetes, hypertension, and other complications, who was left vomiting throughout the night while nurses and doctors on duty were nowhere to be found between 2:00 a.m. and 04:00am, until during ward rounds, around 08:00am.
This incident, which occurred nearly two months after Col Ayeni assumed office, clearly happened under his watch, not that of his predecessor. The affected personnel, he said, are now facing disciplinary action in line with extant laws and professional ethics, a move seen more as reactive than reformative.
The new CMD emphasized that under his leadership, NAOWA Hospital would witness a cultural shift toward accountability and patient-centered service.
“I want people to see that things are changing. We have started recruitment of qualified doctors, improved feedback channels, and are making sure staff understand that the patient’s welfare comes first,” he said.
However, observers and staff familiar with the hospital’s internal operations argue that Col Ayeni’s rhetoric falls short of tangible change, pointing instead to ongoing dysfunction and weak supervision even under his leadership.
Col Ayeni’s assumption of office may mark a change of face, but not yet a change of fortune for NAOWA Hospital. His attempt to shift blame upward while presiding over the same rot he inherited raises questions about his competence and sincerity in leading true reform.
While the institution’s past was mired in neglect, the new leadership’s actions, or lack thereof, may determine whether NAOWA Hospital finally breaks free from its cycle of decay or sinks deeper under cosmetic reform.
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