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ABUJA – Workers and patients at the Federal University of Technology Akure Teaching Hospital (FUTATH) were thrown into panic on Friday after organised labour alleged that armed policemen deployed by the hospital’s Chief Medical Director (CMD), Professor Segun Ojo, dispersed a peaceful protest with teargas.
The labour unions claimed that police officers allegedly assaulted workers and union members while repeatedly firing teargas within the hospital premises, forcing patients and visitors to flee for safety amid the confusion.
The protest is the latest twist in a lingering dispute between the Ondo State Organised Labour and the management of FUTATH over the alleged exclusion of inherited workers from the Federal Government’s staff absorption exercise following the takeover of the former University of Medical Sciences Teaching Hospital (UNIMEDTH), Akure.
At the centre of the dispute is the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) that formalised the transfer of UNIMEDTH to the Federal Government as the Federal University of Technology Akure Teaching Hospital. The agreement was signed on behalf of the Federal Government by the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, while Ondo State Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa, represented at the ceremony by his deputy, Dr. Olayide Adelami, signed on behalf of the state government.
According to the labour unions, the MoU expressly provided that all inherited staff of the hospital should be absorbed into the new federal institution, while eligible casual workers should also be considered for employment.
The unions, however, alleged that the management under Prof. Segun Ojo captured fewer than 55 per cent of the inherited workforce during the recent IPPIS biometric exercise.
They further alleged that the exercise was characterised by irregularities, the exclusion of inherited workers, alleged job racketeering and a disregard for established industrial relations procedures.
According to the unions, the alleged actions violated both the spirit and the provisions of the MoU reached before the transfer of the hospital to the Federal Government.
They also claimed that more than 45 per cent of the former workforce had been replaced with fresh appointments, contrary to the agreement signed by both governments.
The organised labour vowed to sustain its protest and picketing of the hospital until the Ondo State Government and the Federal Government intervene to address the issues in dispute.
It accused the hospital management of attempting to reduce the workforce despite prevailing economic hardship and the shortage of healthcare professionals across the country.
The unions also called on the Federal Government to review the appointment of Prof. Segun Ojo, alleging that the hospital had witnessed recurring industrial disputes and an unfriendly working environment under his leadership.
They urged both the Ondo State Government and the Federal Government to investigate the allegations and initiate urgent mediation to prevent the crisis from escalating further.
The allegations contained in the unions’ statement have not been independently verified. As of the time of filing this report, neither the management of FUTATH nor Prof. Segun Ojo had publicly responded to the allegations.
