The management of the Neuro Psychiatric Hospital, Aro, Abeokuta, Ogun State and members of the Joint Health Sector Union have traded words over the ongoing health workers’ strike in the state.
The national body of JOHESU had directed that all members of the union across the country in Federal hospitals should commence the strike action, owing to the inability of the Federal Government to meet their demands since 2012.
The striking health workers across the country are demanding the payment for payment of arears of specialist allowances, upgrading of their members due for promotion and functional equipment.
The protesting members of the union in Ogun comprising nurses, midwives, laboratory scientists, physiotherapists and pharmacists to mention few, were drawn from the Federal Medical Centre, Idi- Aba, and the Neuro psychiatric Hospital, Aro in Abeokuta.
But while demonstrating around the hospital premises, officials of the institution allegedly accosted the workers.
It was gathered that the Acting Provost of the hospital, Dr. Timothy Adebowale; the Director of Administration and the Head of the Department of Nursing accosted the protesting workers, attempting to stop them from continuing with their action.
JOHESU Chairman at the hospital, Mrs. Oluyemisi Falana, told our correspondent on the phone that Adebowale and other senior officials of the management allegedly verbally attacked members of the union for complying with the directives of the union’s national body.
“The Acting Provost and the Director of Administration with the HOD of Nursing came after us, trying to tell us not to go anywhere, not to listen to the directives of the national body,” Falana alleged.
She further alleged that Adebowale threatened to get the striking workers arrested by the police if they continued their action, adding that the Senior staff members of JOHESU in the hospital were seriously embarrassed as the Acting Provost allegedly used his camera phone to record their protest.
“He had threatened to use mobile police men to attack us. He even used a camera phone, trying to embarrass and intimidate the protesting staff. Thereafter, they started embarrassing some of our senior staff members, but we were quiet and calm. And all we did was to sit and see if they would want to molest the senior staff. Rather, they verbally abused them because they were complying with the directive to go on strike” she said.
The Public Relations Officer of the hospital, Mr. Abiola Ajibola, denied allegations that the Provost and other management staff attacked the protesting workers.
“Nobody was attacked, no attack everybody was peaceful,” he said.
Earlier, the union at the FMC had through its Chairman, Samuel Idowu, said that the workers would continue the strike action until their demands were met by the Federal Government
“We expect that the injustice meted out to us JOHESU members will die with this struggle,” he said.
