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Kenyan man caught in medical fraud in Samoa for masquerading as a senior Lecturer in a School of Medicine
A senior lecturer at the National University of Samoa (N.U.S.), who is being investigated by local authorities on the legitimacy of his qualifications, has also been questioned by the St. Francis University College of Health and Allied Sciences (S.F.U.C.H.A.S.) in East Africa, for a similar incident.
Dr. Embiruka Osborne Nyandiva, of Kenya, who is employed by the N.U.S. as a senior Lecturer in the School of Medicine, has been placed on leave pending an investigation by the Office of the Attorney General and the Medical Council of Samoa.
But the Samoa Observer has been alerted to a public notice issued by the St. Francis University College of Health and Allied Sciences (S.F.U.C.H.A.S.) in East Africa about Dr. Embiruka.
Posted on the school’s website on 15th May 2019, the notice reads: “This is to inform the community of S.F.U.C.H.A.S. and the general public that Mr. Osborne Nyandiva (in the photo above) is no longer an employee of S.F.U.C.H.A.S. as from the date of this notice. Consequently, S.F.U.C.H.A.S. will not be responsible for his actions.”
When the Samoa Observer contacted Dr. Embiruka about the notice, he downplayed it saying it was merely to inform the public he no longer worked there.
“It’s where I worked before coming to Samoa,” he said. “I never resigned in Tanzania when I left and I took sabbatical leave of six months. They expected me to be back by February which never occurred.”
Asked about the “actions” the notice referred to, Dr. Embiruka, explained it was a general reference to his involvement.
“The word action simply means engagements or activities. The message is that I am not eligible to tie myself as an employee of the organization.”
But the Administrator for the S.F.U.C.H.A.S., Musa C. Mgaya, told the Samoa Observer via email that Dr. Embiruka had a contract with their institution until 2020.
“He left our institution uninformed since September 2018, probably after he found out that we have discovered he presented to our office some forgery information including his academic certificates,” Mr. Mgaya told the Samoa Observer.
“When we tried to inquire on his whereabouts, his response was not convincing and yet he could not get back to work for nine months now.
“When we employed him, we submitted his certificates to the Board of Pathologists so as to ascertain his qualifications but it turned out that he was not real in his academic credentials.
“We later on discovered that he even forged his endorsement letter from the Tanzania Commission for University which has discretion to scrutinize foreign awards before someone can work in Tanzania.”
Mr. Mgaya claimed that Dr. Embiruka was observed to have no knowledge that is “relevant to imparting pathological knowledge and skill to University students.”
Earlier this week, N.U.S’s Acting Vice Chancellor, Silafau Professor Sina Va’ai, confirmed the Kenyan has been placed on leave pending an ongoing investigation. The investigation followed allegations raised by the Ministry of Health about his work.
The Director General of the Ministry of Health, Leausa Dr. Take Naseri, said Dr Osborne’s credentials were “questionable” hence an official complaint lodged with the Samoa Qualifications Authority and the N.U.S. The Attorney General was copied.
Leausa alleged that Dr. Embiruka did “laboratory work” for the hospital and the “reports submitted appeared questionable and this prompted the query with the N.U.S., which was later extended to the Samoa Qualification Authority.
“I wrote to the Samoa Qualifications Authority and copied the N.U.S and the Medical Council, given there was some work he was doing for hospital, such as tissue counting.
“And we found out some disturbing news about his credentials, information from the University in Kenya says they did not confer any Pathologist degree on him.”
According to the Director General, Dr. Embiruka also applied for a Pathologist vacancy at the hospital.
“But when the funders (the Australian government) questioned his credentials, he pulled his application,” Leausa said.
Dr. Embiruka disputed the allegations. He had left the country last month but told the Samoa Observer that he is coming back to Samoa to clear his name.
He said Leausa and the Ministry of Health started digging up stuff about him because he had applied for the C.E.O. position at the Ministry of Health.
“I applied for the C.E.O. position and I was told that I am a foreigner so why do I want to compete with locals, yet already getting high perks at the university.
“They disregarded the application. The whole circle goes around harming all the black professionals at the N.U.S.”
“If they can’t do that, they shouldn’t even be called professors”
The National University of Samoa (N.U.S.) is “responsible” for the hiring of an academic whose qualifications have since come under scrutiny from local authorities. This is according to Prime Minister, Tuilaepa Dr. Sa’ilele Malielegaoi.
He was responding to questions on media reports of a Kenyan national who is now the subject of an investigation by the Samoa Medical Council and the Office of the Attorney General.
Dr. Embiruka Osborne Nyandiva, who is an academic at the National University of Samoa’s (N.U.S.) School of Medicine, has been placed on leave pending the investigation.
In November last year, the university welcomed Dr. Embiruka and announced that he has background in forensic pathology and will add to its teaching ranks.
The Prime Minister did not mince words when asked for a comment.
“It is ironic the university is operated and run by Professors, yet this happens,” he said.
“It is not hard to pick up the phone and contact the University and double check the credentials. It is very simple.
“And if they can’t do that, then they shouldn’t even be called Professors.”
Tuilaepa then turned to the Samoa Qualifications Authority and questioned their role when it comes to scrutinising credentials.
“That is correct, the S.Q.A. is responsible for examining credentials, but it appears that is not happening. It takes only four people to inspect the credentials, but what’s happening is that they are focusing on recruiting their staff.
Faculty of Health Science Motootua. (Photo: Vaitogi Asuisui Matafeo)
“Maybe they are waiting until their staffing reaches one thousand people, and then maybe they will actually do some real work,” he said.
Last week, Dr. Embiruka rubbished the investigation launched against him.
“The allegations are not true. There is more to the story on the allegations,” he told this newspaper.
His “credentials” were questioned by Director General, Leausa Dr. Take Naseri, and they lodged a complaint with the N.U.S.
Leausa alleged that Dr. Embiruka did “laboratory work” for the hospital and that they realised something was “off” about the reports.
“The Health Ministry inquired with the S.Q.A. about his credentials the information from the University in Kenya says they did not confer any Pathologist degree on him,” Leausa alleged.
This week it was uncovered that aside from the N.U.S. another School of Medicine in East Africa is questioning the legitimacy of Dr Osborne’s qualifications.
The Samoa Observer was alerted to a public notice issued by the St. Francis University College of Health and Allied Sciences (S.F.U.C.H.A.S.) in East Africa about Dr. Embiruka.
The notice was posted on the school’s website on 15th May 2019, indicating that Dr. Osborne is no longer an employee of S.F.U.C.H.A.S.
The Administrator for the S.F.U.C.H.A.S., Musa C. Mgaya, told the Samoa Observer via email that Dr. Embiruka had a contract with their institution until 2020.
“He left our institution uninformed since September 2018, probably after he found out that we have discovered he presented to our office some forgery information including his academic certificates,” Mr. Mgaya told the Samoa Observer.
“When we employed him, we submitted his certificates to the Board of Pathologists so as to ascertain his qualifications but it turned out that he was not real in his academic credentials.”
