Members of staff of the Ladoke Akintola University, LAUTECH,Teaching Hospital, Ogbomoso, Oyo State, on Tuesday, took to the streets to protest the sack of 256 members of staff and transfer of another 299 to the state civil service.
According to Nigerian Tribune, the protesters took off from the hospital complex and headed to Taki, the palace of the Soun of Ogbomoso and also the palace of the Onpetu Ijeru.
The workers had been on strike since August while resident doctors joined on November 24, a situation which made the state government to stop their salary.
Speaking with the Nigerian Tribune on the telephone, chairman of Nurses and Midwives Association of Nigeria, Ogbomoso unit, Mr Jaiyeoba Adebayo, said the whole thing began on January 2015 when the state government decided to reduce the hospital subvention by half.
Adebayo said “We got information that about 256 members of staff have been disengaged from the service of the hospital while 299 have been transferred to the Oyo State civil service commission and so, we decided to hold a peaceful protest.
“The names of the affected staff were pasted at the entrance of the administrative department last week Wednesday.”
Spokesman of the Joint Health Staff Union (JOHESU), Mr Lawal Abiodun, also confirmed the development, adding that leadership of the union is expected to meet later in the week to deliberate on the situation.
Reacting to the protest, Oyo State Commissioner for Information, Culture, and Tourism, Mr Toye Arulogun, said the development was part of the plan to reposition the hospital.
Arulogun added that “it is part of government’s holistic restructuring efforts of the hospital which includes an increase in monthly subvention.”
