Isma’il Hashim, PhD.
In Civil service, globally, accolade is always offered not mostly in material present, but in kind and elevational mode, where a servant might either be praised, retained, promoted, or even all. That is why most organizations when trying to hire workers, they put them first on probation, and condition hard work and productivity as the yardstick for retaining a worker after the trial period.
That goes to even appointments and elective positions. It was only the hard work that fetched Barrack Obama his second tenure as president of the United States, even as he faced a daunting contest with his republican challenger, Mitt Romney.
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In Nigeria, where in most cases, both the appointer and the appointed, seem to be enmeshed in nepotistic and absurd deals, hard work is either by accident or rarely comes, but from credible personalities.
It is no surprise that whenever one is found, people tend to hold him tight, hoping that he should be there untampered, unchanged.
In Kano, such a person was recently found, in a very sensitive sector of the society that everyone is looking up to in terms of emergency.
Professor Abdurrahman Sheshe, is undoubtedly one of the upright health administrators that Nigeria should be proud of in terms of foresight, prudence and accountability in health management.
Piloting the affairs of one of the leading teaching hospitals in Nigeria, Prof. Sheshe assumed office as the fourth Chief Medical Director of Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital, AKTH, at a time when the hospital was almost gasping for air to breathe.
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During his four-year tenure, Sheshe abolished the olden way of transactions in AKTH, where digital methods were introduced in virtually every sector of the institute.
All payments where digitally synchronised to ensure prudence and fight cash-and-carry corrupt practices, which used to rob the hospital of millions of naira by a cartel that became so powerful to get dismantled by past administrations.
Prof. Sheshe single-handedly championed the course of transforming AKTH into an e-institute, where even an outpatient file and folder, could be digitally accessed by just a click. His “Health-in-the-box” initiative, where health records and transactions were computerised and domiciled into a Health Management System HMI portal, afforded the institute with a very easy and state-of-the-art approach in dealing with the daily affairs of patients.
In infrastructure, Prof. Sheshe has recorded far-reaching achievements in reviving and completing abandoned projects that spent decades only housing reptiles and termites. It was during his tenure, that additional residences were provided for both clinical and non-clinical staff of AKTH.
More than three sets of both male and female medical wards with their amenity rooms where pursued and established, departmental blocks for almost ten different units were also built, restructuring of some departments and units for efficiency and productivity, as well as enhancing the security architecture of the hospital, were all recorded during his administration.
The hospital was networked with tarred roads and drainage, just as he provided much-needed water supplies, not only within the clinical environment of the institute but also to the residential area.
More sophisticated and modern equipment were purchased, just as he sponsored many medical professionals to acquire innovative skills in human management and medical surgeries.
Maggot therapy, for instance, a medical Innovation where a species of worm is used to eradicate a decaying flesh in humans, was brought into reality by Sheshe’s administration, making AKTH the first in northern Nigeria to successfully do it.
It was during his stewardship that Sheshe secured an intervention from the Saudi government, where Senior Cardiologists stormed Kano for free Open heart surgery. No fewer than a hundred people benefitted from the intervention.
But despite all the overwhelming achievements he was able to have recorded in just a single term, it was heard from some quarters that forces, that are not really happy with Sheshe’s style of leadership, are concerting their efforts to ensure they thwart his tenure renewal. Already, an acting CMD has been assigned, contrary to the norm that has been obtained for decades.
It was on record that during Professor Sheshe’s headship, sabotages were uncovered by those who frowned at why his transformation should affect the shady deals that they enjoy for ages; promotion and appointments became regularised and meritorious, departmental headships were acquired only through the ranks. These puppets, no doubt have their masters, who directly or indirectly, must be unhappy with those transformations.
It might be due to the aforementioned, and other factors, that are now working anti-clock wisely, to smear him and give a defaced picture of who Prof. Sheshe was, and the overwhelming achievements he so far recorded.
Another advantage to his credit was his Kano-base factor; he was well-connected with the state’s politicians and those in positions of power. This advantage led to fetching numerous projects for the hospital, by different political actors, across different political divides and affiliations.
Mega Projects secured through Sen. Ibrahim Shekarau, a former Kano governor, Dr. Abdullahi Ganduje, the erstwhile governor, Sen. Barau Jibril, Deputy Senate President, Sen. Suleiman Kawu Sumaila, and a host of others, were prominently recognised during Sheshe’s tenure in office.
That is a clear testimony of his wealth of connection and the goodwill he appeared to have with those that could bring forth goodies to the hospital, which every institute aspires to have.
With President Bola Tinubu’s renewed hope agenda, that is all about reinstalling new hope in Nigerians that things would take a proper shape, as there are actors to handle it, Prof. Sheshe should be one of the omen naturally prepared for such a move.
In the words of Chief Emma Eneukwu, Chairman, Board management of the hospital, described Professor Abdurrahman Sheshe as “a person that has shown a rare courage and focus to build on the legacy of his predecessors and chart a new course for the hospital to achieve greatness.
The board chairman commended the CMD’s “doggedness and tenacity that resulted in AKTH’s incredible growth and development, covering qualitative service, training, infrastructural development and lots more”.
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This is a testimony that came from a person whose motive was only to narrate it as it is, not for any favour in return. Truncating a process of continuity for persons of this character could be just a nightmare, posing a great loss for the community they serve.
Mr. President, kindly save Kano, save AKTH, save humanity!
Hashim, PhD. writes from Rabat, Morocco.
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