By Sesi Noah Nurses and midwives at Ladoke Akintola University Teaching Hospital (LAUTECH), Ogbomoso, have given hospital management a 15-d...
By Sesi Noah
Nurses and midwives at Ladoke Akintola University Teaching Hospital (LAUTECH), Ogbomoso, have given hospital management a 15-day ultimatum, warning that they may down tools if their welfare concerns are not addressed.
Under the umbrella of the National Association of Nigerian Nurses and Midwives (NANNM), the LAUTECH chapter accused management of consistently sidelining them from benefits already enjoyed by their colleagues in other state-owned hospitals.
In a statement jointly signed by the Unit Chairman, Ojewumi Olutayo, and Unit Secretary, Adedokun Foluwake, the workers complained that, unlike their counterparts elsewhere, they were yet to benefit from the new national minimum wage. They also pointed to unpaid COVID-19 allowances, outstanding promotion arrears dating back to 2018, staff shortages, and poorly furnished nurses’ stations and rooms, saying these issues have worsened their hardship and dampened morale.
According to them, the situation has become unbearable, and if nothing changes within the ultimatum period, they will have no choice but to embark on strike. The association further argued that only direct salary payments by the Oyo State Government could end what they described as a cycle of exclusion. They warned that patients — especially pregnant women, children, accident victims, and other emergency cases — would be the worst hit if services are disrupted.
They, therefore, appealed to Governor Seyi Makinde to step in personally, urging him to ensure fairness and justice for LAUTECH staff.
This fresh threat adds to the wave of unrest in Nigeria’s health sector, where disputes over wages, allowances, and working conditions continue to fuel industrial actions.
Photo credit: Punch Newspaper
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