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Ojukwu Teaching Hospital Shutdown As Workers Embark On Indefinite Strike, Patients Stranded
By Okey Maduforo Awka
Chukwuemaka Odumegwu Ojukwu University Teaching Hospital Amaku in Awka Capital has been shutdown following the mon payment of the agreed increment of salary scale.
The strike which was embarked upon by the Joint Health Sector Unions JUHESU Amaku chapter has also left a lot of patients stranded as they cannot be attended to .
Though the nurses and doctors are not on strike the allied medical workers who are on strike has frustrated medical services in the Teaching Hospital.
At the wards , the patients complained that they are not being attended to adding that though the doctors and nurses are working, the allied health workers are not there to provide the needed medical assistance to help them .
The striking workers who were seen monitoring the compliance to the industrial action visited wards and medical facilities to ensure that their members are not working.
When contacted on phone the Commissioner for Health Dr Obidike could not pick his calls while the Chief Medical Director CMD of the Teaching Hospital was said not to be on seat.
According to the Chairman of Joint Health Sector Unions JUHESU Amaku; Comerade Afam Kanayo Udozo ; the doctors and nurses are working but the Hospital is dead due to the strike action.
“Doctors are working but since we are not working the hospital is dead” .
“Our grouse is simple, in 2010 salary structures for the Medical Doctors and the health workers it called Consolidated Medical Salaries Structure CONMES ”
But he lamented that while the doctors have been settled, the rest of the allied health workers have not been settled despite series of meetings, negotiations and promises .
“The rest is Consolidated Heath Salary Structure and the doctors salary scale was bigger but it is a team”
“In 2010 the government gave the doctors their salary structure in 2014 they government increase their own but did not increase ours” .
“So the gap increased and it was no longer fair ”
He recalled that they have been meeting with with the state government through the Secretary to the State Government SSG as well as the Commissioner for Health without any results.
“This strike about that COMHES in this Anambra state government has settled all Medical Doctors in Amaku hospital in the state and in the local government the latest model 2024 and they are going to pay them 100 percent and that is what they would be taking home ”
“Our Resident Doctors recently went on strike and the Government paid them everything including their school fees ”
“We are asking for the implementation of our little increment here as you did to others” .
“We are not talking about the size of the Doctors but the little one that was approved for payment but they said no!”
“It is implemented in Amaku , sub-optimally but since they increased it in. 2024 it is no longer the 90 percent increment”
“We gave government an ultimatum in December 2024 and we were to go on strike in January this year but the Secretary to the State Government called us for a meeting in his office and said please didn’t go on strike and let us talk about it and we agreed”
“After that the meetings did not yelled anything tangible and we issued another ultimatum and they called us a gain that we should not go on strike that they are working on it ”
Udozo further lamented that their members had severally accused us of selling out adding that they are now seen as ultimatum Chairmen.
“At that point our members began to distrust us calling us ultimatum Chairmen and that we have compromised”
“We gave a third ultimatum and they came again pleading”
“The major demands out of the three demands is COMHES and other states have implemented it but not Anambra and we are poorest paid in the South East which is the flagship”
“They approved two out of the three demands but not the flagship and the Commissioner for Health called us and pleaded from r four weeks that Governor is going to do something about it ”
“That four weeks ended last night yesterday and finally we have no choice after nine months later we are now are on strike”
He however noted that the body is open for talks with government stating that should government do the needful the strike would be called but for now it remains indefinite.
“However our phones are open and we are expecting calls from them but while we await their calls the strike remains indefinite”
A Police Inspector, Dr. Obodo Paul Ikechukwu, has reportedly died after he was involved in a fatal road accident allegedly involving a police convoy in Enugu State.
The deceased, who hailed from Nkpologu in Enugu State, was serving in the Operations Department of the Enugu State Police Headquarters at the time of the incident.
Details surrounding the circumstances of the accident remain unclear, but sources said the inspector was fatally injured after being struck by a vehicle in a police convoy.
Dr. Obodo, who was also a PhD holder, was described by colleagues and associates as a dedicated officer whose death has come as a shock to members of the police command and his community.
As of the time of filing this report, the Enugu State Police Command had not issued an official statement on the incident, while further details are being awaited.
The Spiritual Director of the Adoration Ministry Enugu, , has offered prayers for , praying for God’s favour, protection, and victory as the state approaches the coming elections.
Speaking during a church gathering, Mbaka declared that Governor Mbah would succeed, expressing confidence that God, whom he said had begun a great work through the governor, would bring it to completion.
“It shall be well with Peter Mbah; may the favour of God be with him. We back him with our prayers. The Adoration family throws our prayers around him, that he will succeed, in the name of Jesus. May God grant him the power of victory at the end of the whole election,” Mbaka said.
The cleric further expressed hope that Mbah’s leadership would bring joy to the Igbo people, the people of Enugu State, and the Church, adding that the Igbo economy could witness greater advancement under his administration.
According to Mbaka, the progress recorded so far gives hope that greater achievements lie ahead, stressing that God would perfect the work already begun.
His remarks come as political activities continue to gather momentum ahead of the forthcoming elections.
ENUGU — Governor Peter Mbah has directed the Enugu State Emergency Management Agency (ESEMA) to provide immediate relief materials and other palliative support to two families displaced by the fire that razed a two-storey building at No. 22 Church Road, Asata, Enugu, on Saturday.
The governor’s directive followed reports by Everydaynewsngr that the inferno destroyed two flats and consumed household property, valuables, and important documents belonging to the affected families, leaving them homeless.
The General Manager of ESEMA is expected to assess the extent of the damage and coordinate the distribution of emergency relief items to ease the hardship faced by the victims while further interventions are considered.
Residents of the area welcomed the governor’s swift response, describing it as a demonstration of compassion and responsible leadership at a difficult time for the affected families.
One of the victims, an employee of a higher institution in Enugu State who is said to be approaching retirement, had lamented that the fire wiped out decades of savings and destroyed all his household belongings, including vital documents and certificates.
No lives were lost in the incident, while the cause of the fire is yet to be determined. Authorities are expected to investigate the circumstances surrounding the outbreak as affected families begin the difficult task of rebuilding their lives.
The state government urged residents to remain safety conscious and report fire emergencies promptly to relevant agencies to minimise damage and loss of property.
By Our Reporter
Stakeholders in Nigeria’s real estate industry, alongside Golden Land Estate Ventures Limited, have called for urgent reforms to strengthen professionalism, transparency, and investor confidence in the sector.
The call was contained in a communiqué issued on Monday in Enugu following the company’s 2026 Mid-Year Seminar/Luncheon, held on Friday, July 3, at Wendy’s Place. The seminar, themed “Next-Level Real Estate Practices,” brought together real estate developers, chief executive officers, realtors, marketers, investors, and other stakeholders from the South-East to examine emerging industry trends, challenges, and practical strategies for sustainable growth.
According to the communiqué, participants unanimously adopted several resolutions after extensive deliberations.
Among the key resolutions was a call for stronger government action against the multiple sale of land. Participants urged the Federal, State, and Local Governments to strengthen land administration policies and impose stringent sanctions on communities and individuals involved in the fraudulent sale of the same parcel of land to multiple buyers.
They noted that such practices continue to erode investor confidence, fuel land-related litigation, and discourage genuine investment in the real estate sector.
The stakeholders also stressed the need to promote professionalism and healthy competition within the industry. They maintained that competition should be driven by integrity, innovation, quality service delivery, and professionalism rather than unhealthy rivalry, misinformation, or actions capable of damaging the reputation of fellow practitioners.
They further encouraged industry leaders to embrace collaboration as a means of promoting collective growth and enhancing public confidence in the sector.
The communiqué also emphasised the importance of honesty and transparency in dealings with clients. Participants urged real estate practitioners to refrain from making false claims, exaggerating property values, misrepresenting estate locations or approvals, or giving unrealistic assurances merely to secure transactions.
They insisted that prospective buyers should be provided with accurate, verifiable, and complete information before making investment decisions.
On service delivery, the seminar called on real estate developers and chief executives to establish effective internal controls to eliminate the overselling or double allocation of plots. Developers were also urged to ensure prompt allocation of purchased lands and timely issuance of all necessary documentation.
According to the communiqué, efficient service delivery is critical to sustaining customer trust and improving the credibility of the industry.
The participants also called on government agencies, industry regulators, professional bodies, community leaders, developers, and practitioners to work together in building a transparent, accountable, and investment-friendly real estate environment that protects property buyers and supports sustainable national development.
Golden Land Estate Ventures Limited reaffirmed its commitment to promoting ethical business practices, professional excellence, continuous capacity development, and responsible real estate investment in Nigeria.
The communiqué was signed by Comrade Damian Ogudike and Mr. Ikechukwu Eze, directors of Golden Land Estate Ventures Limited, on behalf of the company’s board. It was also drafted and endorsed by the seminar’s resource persons, Mrs. Amaka Dim of Exotic Landlady Estate and Miss Blessing Anene of BuildWise Solution Centre Estate.
By Our Correspondent
ENUGU — Two families were left homeless on Saturday after a fire destroyed two flats in a two-storey building located at No. 22 Church Road, Asata, in Enugu metropolis.
The fire, which started at about 10 a.m., reportedly broke out after the occupants of the affected upper-floor flats had left for their daily activities.
Although the cause of the fire was yet to be ascertained as of the time of filing this report, eyewitness Tony Iroji said the inferno completely destroyed household items and other valuables in the affected apartments.
One of the victims, who returned home while the building was engulfed in flames, reportedly collapsed after seeing the extent of the damage. He was revived by sympathisers at the scene.
The victim, said to be an employee of one of the higher institutions in Enugu State and nearing retirement, lamented that years of hard work had been wiped out by the incident.
According to him, the fire destroyed all his household property, including important documents and certificates, leaving him with no option but to relocate his family to his ancestral home.
“All I have worked for all these years is gone,” he said in tears.
No life was lost in the incident, but residents appealed to the Enugu State Government, emergency management agencies and public-spirited individuals to come to the aid of the affected families, even as they urged the authorities to investigate the cause of the fire.
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