LETTER OF DEMAND FOR THE REFUND
Department of Internal Medicine
University of Calabar Teaching Hospital (UCTH)
Calabar
Cross River State
13th July 2020
The President
Association of Resident Doctors (ARD)
University of Calabar Teaching Hospital (UCTH)
Calabar
RE: LETTER OF DEMAND FOR THE REFUND OF N1,123,500.00 (ONE MILLION, ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY-THREE THOUSAND, FIVE HUNDRED NAIRA) ONLY
The response to my letter from the Association referenced ARD-UCTH/VOL.001/07/00124 of 8th July 2020 is rather antithetical based on the following:
- The knowledge of the President (2019/2020) was brought to bear on this by the immediate past President of the Association verbally and to Congress in the 1st Ordinary General Meeting (OGM) of the Association held on the 22nd of January, 2020. This, notwithstanding, the President and the Secretariat claim to have no evidence of the forgone.
The 2018/2019 Executive Council held a meeting on 6th December 2019 bothering on the end of year package for members in the 2018/2019 approved budget of the Association. A decision was arrived at that the Welfare Officer obtains the sum of N1,000,000.00 (one million Naira) only from the UCTH Doctors’ Multipurpose Cooperative Society on behalf of the Association, which was to be repaid immediately funds are available to the Association from the outstanding capitations to cushion the effect of the impending deductions of the loan from my salary.
Moreover, if the search in the ‘archives’ has been fruitless, is there no need that the whereabouts of such sort-for document be requested for from the immediate past President and the immediate past Secretary who are the current Ex-Officio members of the Association and were in the Exco meeting of 6th December 2019?
- I find it unfathomable the ideology that a fiscal year ends with an Exco as this assertion is not stated anywhere in the Bye-Laws of the Association. Government is a continuum that must take up the assets and liabilities of those chosen to represent the Association in the past, which I have observed that the current Exco has decided to take up liabilities owed the Association but deny genuine debts the Association owe members. This is at the detriment of one of the cardinal purposes of the Association, which is the maintenance of the welfare of members.
- The decision to refer the matter to the AGM from the proceedings of the 1st OGM on 22nd January 2020 was not a decision of Congress as pleas, suggestions, advise were proffered without the ingredients of what constitutes a valid decision of Congress as stated under Article 11(11) of the Bye-Law of the Association. Thus, this is the decision of a few persons.
Furthermore, if one is to take excerpts of the aforementioned OGM and the comments that stemmed from this matter concerning the financial statement that was presented in the last AGM of 12th December 2019, there is need to be clarified on whether the contents of a consequent financial statement presented to a new Executive, based on activities of an outgoing Executive of the Association, can be discarded. More so, is there any section of our Bye-Laws that makes rigid the reports at the AGM?
Concerning your decision taken to keeping aside discussion of this matter till AGM 2020, this is not feasible at all as the current ongoing deductions of my salary for the past 7 (seven) months with other attending challenges created by the prevailing pandemic has made it difficult for me to attend to my needs, that of my immediate and extended family.
While I will not hesitate to take further steps in ensuring that the value of my hard-earned money is not depreciated further, be assured of my best regards.
Dr. Asa Eyo Itam-Eyo