Tears of joy, as Ooni succours sacked OAUTH workers

By John Dike

The Ooni of Ife, Ooni Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi,has pacified staff members of the Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospital, Ile-Ife who were recently disengaged by the hospital management with a whopping sum of ten million Naira and one thousand bags of rice.

This is to ameliorate their sufferings occasioned by the nonpayment of their 11 month salaries.

Ogunwusi who announced the donation while addressing the angry youths who stormed his Ile Oodua Palace on Monday, assured them that he is currently working with relevant stakeholders including the Federal Ministry of Health among others to resolve the crisis.

He said, “It is your right to protest if you feel injustice has been done to you all, but I want you to apply wisdom in order to achieve beneficial results. I am dedicating myself and the ancient throne of Oduduwa to fight this fight to a logical conclusion.

“I am happy that you all have demonstrated core Omoluabi ethos of descendants of Oduduwa by allowing operations to resume at the hospital upon receiving my message.

” You have honoured me and I pray that God will honour you all.

“Beyond that, I wish to assure you that the Palace will support your dreams and aspirations in life even beyond the OAUTHC.

“I believe that most of you have big dreams and you are only looking for how to achieve it but I am calling on you all to use me as a ladder to reach your peak in life.” The Ooni said.

Speaking on behalf of the disengaged workers, Samson Falope, revealed that the hospital Management served them a circular last week Wednesday, 31st January 2024, disengaging the over 1,500 workers from their duty posts, after serving the institution for about 15 months with most of them not getting paid a dime.

On their move to create awareness about their predicament, Falope explained that they were left with no choice than to converge at the hospital complex main gate on thursday, 1st February, 2024, in order to seek the audience with the Management but the Chief Medical Director of OAUTHC, Professor John Okeniyi and his team did not show up.

Samson, an estate officer II of the Civil and Maintenance department, lamented that they were taken through all recruitment and verification processes after which they were issued required documents with which they have been working with since 2022.

He said, “Kabiyesi you have wiped our tears and we pray that God Almighty will perfect all your affairs Sir.

“We cannot thank you enough especially as these people (OAUTHC Management) almost turned us to nuisance after using us for about 15 months without pay.

“We were interviewed, screened, taken through orientation programs organized by the management, oath form was given to them, appointment letter was given to them, they had resumed their duties, observing both day and night shifts, only to be told to go home after serving with all we have for about 15 months.

“Our children are out of school due to the fact that we can no longer pay their school fees, we have aged parents at home, nobody to take care of them, we do not know where to start again, so, we have no other choice than to embark on a peaceful protest, shutting the main gate of the hospital complex but allowing emergencies to enter the hospital for immediate treatments .”

It will be recalled that there was palpable tension at the premises of the Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospital Complex (OAUTHC) as armed policemen invaded the area and chased away protesters.

Several workers in the hospital had gathered at the hospital in protest against their disengagement by the hospital management over alleged job racketeering and illegal recruitment by some senior staff of the health institution.

At least no fewer than 1,500 workers were laid off even as the management of the hospital admitted culpability in the alleged fraudulent employment.

According to the management, investigation revealed that some now suspended top management staff had to sleep with some female workers before issuing them employment letters while others bought the jobs.

Angered by their sack, the workers mobilised and shut the hospital main gates in protest last week Thursday, denying the allegations of job racketeering levelled against them.

The protesters had threatened to frustrate activities in the hospital indefinitely if the management fails to reverse its decision.

Meanwhile, as the industrial action entered its 5th day on Monday, some armed policemen stormed the protest ground, shot into the air sporadically and chased away the protesters who were armed with placards.

The security personnel forced the shut gates open and stationed their patrol vehicles at the gates to prevent further protest.

Our correspondent learnt that some of the affected workers took to their heels upon hearing gunshots while others summoned courage to loiter as the policemen took over the arena.