News
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”
OSOGBO — The All Progressives Congress (APC) has rejected the outcome of the August 15, 2026, Osun State governorship election as declared by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), insisting that it is not convinced that Governor Ademola Adeleke secured the highest number of valid votes.
INEC on Sunday declared Adeleke the winner after the Returning Officer, Prof. Joshua Olalekan Ogunwale, announced the final results at the commission’s headquarters in Osogbo.
Adeleke, who contested on the platform of the Accord Party, polled 511,067 votes to defeat the APC candidate, Asiwaju Bola Oyebamiji, who scored 444,815 votes. The African Democratic Congress (ADC) candidate, Dr Najeem Salaam, came third with 17,180 votes.
However, the APC said it would not accept the declaration without conducting a comprehensive review of the electoral process.
Speaking on Arise TV’s Prime Time programme on Monday, the Director-General of the APC campaign for the Osun governorship election, Hon. Oluwole Oke, said the party had commenced an audit of the results and electoral materials from the poll.
Oke said the party had directed its agents across the state to submit relevant result sheets for scrutiny as it investigates alleged infractions.
“We need to do the needful which is to evaluate the process, review the process and then form an opinion. We’ve embarked on an audit process; we’ve asked all our party agents to submit copies of Form EC8A, B, C to our secretariat for review. We need to inspect all the materials because we do not agree with the declaration of INEC, and that’s our position for now,” he said.
The APC campaign chief also dismissed suggestions that the party was under pressure to immediately accept the outcome following President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s congratulatory message to Adeleke.
Tinubu had congratulated Adeleke after the declaration, describing the outcome as a reflection of the will of the people.
Reacting to the President’s position, Oke said Tinubu spoke in his capacity as President and a democrat following INEC’s declaration.
“Mr. President spoke as the Father of the nation and a democrat following the declaration by INEC,” he said.
Oke, however, maintained that the APC would rely on its own assessment of the election after completing its review.
“We’re on ground and politics is local and, like I’ve told you, what we’re doing is to conduct a thorough review of the entire process and form an opinion,” he said.
He added that the party would not be rushed into congratulating Adeleke, insisting that its preliminary position was that the governor did not secure the highest number of valid votes.
“We won’t be under any subtle pressure to easily reach out to congratulate Senator Ademola Adeleke because we believe he didn’t score the highest valid votes,” Oke said.
The APC is expected to determine its next course of action after completing its audit and reviewing the electoral materials and results submitted by its agents.
ABAKALIKI — The 2027 governorship race in Ebonyi State is gathering momentum, with the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Chief Ifeanyi Odii, unveiling a package of reforms aimed at improving the welfare of workers, teachers and retirees.
Odii made the commitments during a meeting with representatives of Ebonyi civil servants and members of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) at his Lagos residence, where he outlined his plans for a comprehensive reform of the state’s public service.
A major component of his agenda is a workers’ housing scheme designed to provide 1,000 housing units within his first year in office and up to 5,000 units over four years if elected governor.
Odii said the housing programme would be structured to minimise dependence on direct government funding, with workers’ contributions and existing pension assets forming part of the financing framework.
He said the initiative would address the housing difficulties faced by workers and retirees, particularly retirees who often struggle to sustain rented accommodation after leaving government service.
The PDP candidate also proposed a paperless digital loan platform that would allow workers to access loans against their contributory pension savings without the bureaucratic delays associated with the existing system.
On retirement benefits, Odii pledged that workers would have access to their entitlements immediately upon retirement, arguing that retirees should not endure prolonged delays in receiving benefits accrued during their years of service.
He further promised to reform the promotion process through computer-based promotion examinations capable of producing results instantly.
According to him, the digital system would reduce delays, curb opportunities for manipulation and promote greater transparency and fairness in the career progression of civil servants.
Odii said the proposed reforms were aimed at creating a public service where workers would have improved access to housing, credit facilities and timely retirement benefits, while ensuring a more transparent promotion system.
He presented the proposals as part of his broader agenda to improve workers’ welfare and reposition the Ebonyi State civil service for greater efficiency if elected governor in 2027.
The MainPower Electricity Distribution Limited (MEDL) has confirmed the death of one of its operations staff in an electrical accident.
The Head of Communications, MEDL, Mr Emeka Ezeh, who confirmed the incident in Enugu on Monday, said that the incident occured on Aug. 13 at Eke in Udi Local Government Area of Enugu State.
Ezeh said that the incident, which occurred at about 1p.m., involved Mr. Samson Okechi, the Team Lead, Abor, attached to the company’s 9th Mile District.
He said, “Okechi was carrying out maintenance work on a 50kVA/11kV pole-mounted distribution substation at Eke when he sustained an electric shock.
“Okechi was immediately evacuated to Our Saviour Hospital, Ngwo, for medical attention but was pronounced dead by the doctor on duty. His remains were subsequently deposited at a mortuary.”
He said that the incident was formally reported at the Ngwo Police Station for documentation and other necessary statutory actions.
Ezeh also debunked claims circulating on some social media platforms that Okechi was murdered or that the incident was the result of sabotage.
“I wonder why some people take pleasure in conjuring unfounded narratives and circulating them, thereby creating unnecessary tension and bad blood. This is so unfair,” he said.
He urged members of the public to disregard the claims, describing them as baseless.
According to him, Okechi had requested a Station Guarantee (SG) for the Okwe 11kV Feeder, which was granted at about 11:06 a.m. at the 9th Mile Injection Substation. The feeder was subsequently opened and tagged.
“This is a very unfortunate development and a big shock to all of us, his colleagues. Our hearts go out to his immediate family as they grieve,” Ezeh said.
The MEDL spokesman disclosed that MainPower management had commenced a comprehensive investigation to establish the immediate, underlying and root causes of the accident.
He said, “We are committed to ensuring that the investigation is thorough and evidence-based.
“The findings will be used to identify any gaps, determine appropriate corrective measures, and strengthen safety procedures and operational controls where necessary.”
Ezeh MEDL assured its customers and stakeholders that safety remained a paramount priority in its operations, adding that appropriate measures would be taken based on the outcome of the investigation.
Idiaye, a third-term lawmaker, takes over from Blessing Agbebaku, who resigned as Speaker on Monday amid moves by lawmakers to impeach him.
The emergence of Idiaye was said to have been influenced by the gentleman’s zoning arrangement in the Assembly, which provides that when the governor is from the Edo Central Senatorial District, the Speaker should come from Edo North.
Idiaye, being the oldest member from the Edo North Senatorial District, was subsequently elected Speaker.
Without the zoning arrangement, the Deputy Speaker would have automatically succeeded Agbebaku, according to the new Speaker.
Members of the Assembly were at the Government House to inform Governor Monday Okpebholo of the change in leadership.
Agbebaku was said to have resigned early on Monday following alleged moves by lawmakers to impeach him.
Reports gathered that 17 of the 24 lawmakers had signed a notice of impeachment on Sunday night, a development that may have prompted his resignation.
Agbebaku’s resignation was confirmed by Ebojele, who said details of the development would be made public later.
She said, “I can confirm the Speaker’s resignation but details will be made public later.”
The Speaker of the Edo State House of Assembly, Blessing Agbebaku, has resigned from his position.
Agbebaku stepped down on Monday amid moves by some lawmakers to impeach him.
His resignation was confirmed on Facebook by his media aide, Ivy Adodo-Ebojele, who said further details on the circumstances surrounding his exit would be made public later.
“EDO ASSEMBLY SPEAKER RT HON CHIEF BLESSING AGBEBAKU RESIGNS,” she wrote.
The development has thrown the Edo State House of Assembly into a fresh leadership crisis, with lawmakers expected to determine a new Speaker.
Details shortly…
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