The Medical Director of the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Abeokuta, Ogun State, Prof. Adewale Musa-Olomu, has expressed satisfaction with the achievements recorded during his eight-year tenure, as he prepares to bow out of office on May 31, 2025.
Speaking during a press conference held on Thursday at the Telemedicine Conference Hall in Abeokuta, Musa-Olomu said his administration had transformed the hospital and taken it “to the promised land.”
“When I assumed office, there was no single X-ray or ultrasound machine. Out of ten theatres, only one was working.
“The hospital lacked basic infrastructure and couldn’t be considered a tertiary hospital in the 21st century,” he said.
The outgoing MD noted that despite limited government allocations, he leveraged support from legislators through constituency projects to upgrade facilities at the hospital.
“All the buildings, roads and departments you see today were achieved through constituency project funding. I thank the then Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Adewole, who advised me to approach lawmakers,” he said.
Musa-Olomu also listed the establishment of the Federal University of Medical Sciences, Abeokuta, as one of the key legacies of his tenure.
“We approached several universities to partner with FMC as a teaching hospital but it didn’t work. So I proposed we establish our own university.
“Today, the university has been approved and established, thanks to the support of Governor Ibikunle Amosun, the National Universities Commission and the Federal Ministry of Education,” he said.
He stressed that merit, not influence or wealth, should guide appointments into public office.
“I achieved success through merit, not connections. Public office should be about capacity, not affluence,” he added.
Musa-Olomu also used the occasion to commend President Bola Tinubu’s efforts in the health sector, especially in increasing medical school admissions and building new healthcare facilities.
However, he raised concerns about the continued migration of Nigerian doctors abroad in search of better pay.
“Despite all the investments, doctors are still leaving. Why? Because they are not well paid. Some of my doctors removed cancer from bones and nerves, yet they earn between N700,000 and N800,000 monthly. How can they stay when they can earn over N10 million abroad?” he asked.
He urged the government to back its reforms with improved salaries and incentives for medical professionals.
“They’re training more doctors, building labs and pharmacies, yes, but without proper salaries, doctors will continue to leave,” he said.
Musa-Olomu concluded by encouraging other public officials to provide public accounts of their stewardship before leaving office, as a means of promoting transparency and accountability.
“I believe I am leaving FMC better than I met it,” he said.
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