In the life of every public institution, there are moments when silence is no longer golden. There are times when clarity becomes a duty, and when leadership must confront misinformation not with anger, but with facts. That moment has come for the University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH).
Recent narratives circulating in certain quarters, particularly across informal and digital platforms have sought to cast aspersions on the integrity of the hospital’s Chief Medical Director, Professor Idia Enibokun Ize-Iyamu. These claims, bordering on allegations of extortion and profiteering in connection with laboratory services, are not only unfounded but profoundly misleading, according to the Management of the hospital.
As a matter of public relations, institutional credibility and responsible journalism, it is essential to address these issues head-on, with sobriety and factual precision. To appreciate the gravity of the allegations and their implausibility, one must first understand the terrain within which tertiary healthcare institutions in Nigeria operate.
UBTH is not a neighbourhood clinic. It is a referral centre, a training ground for medical professionals, a research institution, and a lifeline for complex cases across Edo State and neighbouring regions. Managing such an institution in today’s economic climate requires resilience, prudence and reform-driven leadership.
Professor Ize-Iyamu’s tenure has been characterised by institutional strengthening, improved service coordination and strategic capacity enhancement. These reforms, by their very nature, require difficult decisions, particularly in the face of rising costs of medical consumables, laboratory reagents, energy, utilities and equipment maintenance.
The recent review of certain service charges must be viewed within this context. No tertiary hospital can function sustainably if operational costs skyrocket while service pricing remains static. The adjustment, as clarified by Management, followed due process and relevant government guidelines. It was neither arbitrary nor whimsical.
Responsible leadership demands foresight. It demands that institutions are not allowed to decay quietly under financial strain. In such circumstances, reform is not profiteering; it is preservation.
Another area of controversy concerns the engagement of a private laboratory partner to augment UBTH’s diagnostic capacity. The facts are straightforward. The partnership was designed to complement existing laboratory services particularly in specialised testing areas requiring advanced technology and faster turnaround times. It does not replace UBTH’s internal laboratory operations. It enhances them.
Public–private partnerships in healthcare are globally recognised mechanisms for bridging resource gaps. In an environment where funding constraints are real and specialised diagnostic equipment is expensive, collaboration can improve efficiency without compromising institutional control.
What matters in such arrangements are three pillars: transparency, accountability and patient-centred care. According to UBTH Management, the engagement passed through appropriate institutional channels and adheres strictly to these principles.
It is therefore misleading to portray a strategic capacity-enhancement initiative as a commercial conspiracy. Such framing ignores both global best practice and local necessity.
The most serious claims circulating against Professor Ize-Iyamu suggest extortion of patients and profit-sharing from laboratory services. These allegations are grave. They question personal ethics and institutional governance. Yet, they are entirely devoid of substantiated evidence.
At no time has the Chief Medical Director engaged in extortionary practices. At no time has she participated in profiteering schemes connected to hospital services. These claims are baseless and malicious.
Lending its voice, the Edo State branch of the Nigeria Medical Association (NMA) has refuted the malicious social media posts directed at the management and clinical operations of the University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH).
In a statement signed and made available to journalists in Benin City, the Edo NMA Chairman, Dr Eustace Oseghale, urged members of the public to disregard the unverified allegations, which insinuated mismanagement and the purported engagement of a private laboratory within UBTH. He emphasised that the claims were unfounded and should not be taken seriously.
Public relations, at its core, is about protecting truth and institutional reputation. But it is also about reinforcing public confidence. UBTH’s Management has made it unequivocally clear: the CMD’s conduct remains guided by the highest standards of professionalism and ethical responsibility.
In a digital age where misinformation spreads faster than verification, reputational damage can occur before facts are examined. A whisper becomes a headline. A rumour becomes “public opinion”. Yet leadership cannot be judged by viral speculation. Integrity is not established by noise; it is demonstrated through record.
Professor Idia Enibokun Ize-Iyamu’s professional trajectory reflects decades of dedication to medicine, academic advancement and institutional service. Her appointment as Chief Medical Director was not accidental; it was the product of competence, experience and peer recognition.
Under her leadership, UBTH has pursued service expansion, improved coordination and strengthened stakeholder engagement. These initiatives are measurable and visible within the institution’s operational framework.
To suggest that such a leader would jeopardise her professional legacy for illicit gain is not merely speculative, it is implausible. Public officers deserve scrutiny. But scrutiny must be grounded in evidence, not conjecture. When allegations are raised without proof, they cease to be instruments of accountability and become tools of defamation.
Beyond the individual, there is a larger concern. False narratives do not harm only one person; they weaken institutions. In healthcare, weakened public confidence can have dangerous consequences.
Patients must trust their hospital. Medical trainees must believe in the integrity of their leadership. Partners and donors must feel assured of ethical governance. When malicious claims are amplified without verification, institutional morale suffers. Professional reputations are strained. Public confidence erodes.
UBTH has therefore taken a firm and principled stance, not merely to defend its Chief Medical Director, but to safeguard the institution’s credibility. The hospital has also indicated its readiness to pursue lawful means to protect its leadership and reputation from defamatory attacks. This is not a threat; it is a statement of institutional responsibility.
History teaches that reform often encounters resistance. Change unsettles comfort zones. Capacity-building initiatives sometimes disrupt entrenched patterns. When service processes are tightened, when partnerships are introduced, when operational reviews are conducted, some interests may feel threatened. However, reform should not be mistaken for wrongdoing.
Professor Ize-Iyamu’s leadership reflects a commitment to institutional sustainability. Sustainability requires courage— the courage to make decisions that secure long-term service quality, even when those decisions are misunderstood. That courage must not be punished by misinformation.
The public has a right to question. The media has a duty to investigate. But both also carry responsibility: the responsibility to verify before amplifying.
In an era where digital platforms blur the line between fact and speculation, critical thinking becomes essential. Responsible communication strengthens democracy and public institutions; reckless dissemination weakens them.
If there are genuine concerns about hospital operations, established channels for inquiry exist. Due process remains the cornerstone of accountability. What must be rejected, however, is trial by rumour.
UBTH remains unwavering in its mandate: to deliver quality, affordable and ethical healthcare services to Nigerians. The hospital’s Management has reaffirmed its commitment to transparency, stakeholder engagement and continuous improvement.
The CMD’s leadership continues to be anchored in service, integrity and institutional strengthening. Those who work within the hospital understand the complexity of her task. Those who benefit from its services recognise the importance of stable leadership. It is therefore imperative that the public separates fact from fiction and resists narratives designed to undermine confidence.
Public relations is not about cosmetic image management. It is about truth, clarity and trust-building. In addressing the allegations against Professor Idia Enibokun Ize-Iyamu, the facts are clear: Service charge reviews followed due process and economic necessity. The private laboratory partnership is complementary and capacity-enhancing.
Allegations of extortion and profiteering are false and malicious.
UBTH stands by its Chief Medical Director. And until credible evidence suggests otherwise, fairness demands that the public does too.
Odaro, a columnist, lectures in the Department of Mass Communication, Auchi Polytechnic, Auchi.
