Nigeria, June 29 -- In saner societies, hospitals are not battlegrounds for ethnic interests or platforms for political compensation. They are sanctuaries of hope-where knowledge, compassion, and competence must converge to save lives. In Nigeria, however, this ideal is under constant threat. The latest evidence is found in the disturbing pattern of the selection process for Medical Directors in federal health institutions, with the case of the Federal Neuro-Psychiatric Hospital in Kware, Sokoto State, standing as a worrisome example.

1. Dr. Abubakar Baguda Sulaiman

2. Dr. Mustapha Ibrahim Gudaji

3. Dr. Musa Gambo Takai

Not one doctor from Sokoto State, the host of the institution, was deemed worthy of being shortlisted. Ironically, t...