Patients and workers of the University College Hospital UCH Ibadan were on Monday morning prevented from entering into the hospital premises by the striking security men, cleaners and other junior workers who were protesting over unpaid salaries and allowances.
As early as 7am, the two roads leading to the medical institute were blocked with hundreds of other road users, including workers heading for the state secretariat nearby, trapped. Many patients who had early appointments at the hospital lamented the situation.
Newsspeak reports that One of the workers, who pleaded anonymity, accused the Chief Medical Director of the hospital, Prof Temitope Alonge, of deliberately withholding the fund meant for their salaries.
According to report, Alonge had explained to the striking workers that their salaries were not paid directly by the hospital but through an agency which the FG contracted the two departments to.
It was learnt that the CMD promised to pay one month salary to the workers from the hospital’s Internally Generated Revenue while efforts would be made to ensure speedy payment by the agency involved.
Meanwhile academic activities at the Polytechnic of Ibadan was also grounded as lectures embarked on indefinite strike,
Some of the lecturers did not turn up at the school premises while those that came stayed away from duties , although the school still on break but some of the lecturers did visit the school to mark papers and prepare for next academic session.
