FMC industrial crisis: Labour issues 21- day ultimatum to FG
THE Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC) have issued a 21-day ultimatum to government to resolve the industrial crisis rocking the Federal Medical Centre (FMC) Owerri. NLC president Ayuba Wabba, Friday said that the two labour centres have written to notify President Muhammadu Buhari, Attorney General of the Federation and Secretary to […]
THE Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC) have issued a 21-day ultimatum to government to resolve the industrial crisis rocking the Federal Medical Centre (FMC) Owerri.
NLC president Ayuba Wabba, Friday said that the two labour centres have written to notify President Muhammadu Buhari, Attorney General of the Federation and Secretary to the Government of the Federation of the ultimatum.
Wabba said that the two centres have also obtained the certified copy of the court process that contained the trial of Dr Angela Uwakwem, which now sets the ground for her suspension from office pending the determination of the case.
“We have already submitted a true certified copy of the court process to the relevant offices because the Minister of Health, Prof Isaac Adewole promised that he will expedite action on the matter once he gets the paper. We believe that 21 days is enough for government to take action. With all these documents obtained and submitted to the Ministry of Health, if at the end of its all, these efforts fail to yield any result, we will follow up with our normal action of protests and rallies,” Wabba added.
He expressed shock by the turn of event that led to the sudden reinstatement of the erstwhile CMD, saying, “there are two issues that are involved in the Federal Medical Centre Owerri, which are industrial relations about payment of workers’ entitlements and alleged case of corruption.
“Both the Nigeria Labour Congress (TUC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC) were invited to the Ministry of Health where we resolved the industrial relation crisis. We then resolved that the issues that bordered on corruption are better treaded by the anti-corruption agencies.
“The Chief Medical Director, Dr Angela Uwakwem then proceeded on suspension from the 29th July 2015 to give room for those processes to be taken in line with public service rules. A management team was then raised by the Ministry of Health to oversea the affairs of the hospital pending the completion of the process,”he said.
He revealed that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) painstakingly went through the process and that she was formally arraigned in court on 18-count charge on the 11th October 2016 only for the Minister of State for Health to reinstate her five days after.
He explained, “It was after she had been arraigned that the Minister of State for Health, contrary to the provision of public service rules that state that once a prima farcie case has been established against any public officer, a process of interdiction must immediately takes effect. That means that such officer is prohibited from carrying out any official duty.
“But to out amazement, instead of interdicting her, a letter was purportedly written to her to resume work on the 16th October, which is five days after she was arraigned. We found this very strange and funny. The ministry also mobilized mobile police led by senior police officers to usher her into the hospital.”