OWERRI—Striking workers of Federal Medical Centre, Owerri, have denied barring the embattled Medical Director, Dr. Angela Uwakwem, from duty.

 

They also denied engaging in hooliganism and breakdown of law and order in the establishment.

 

The workers’ position was made public in a six-page press statement by the chairmen and secretaries of the Medical and Health Workers Union of Nigeria, MHWUN, National Association of Nigerian Nurses and Midwives, NANNM, and Nigeria Union of Allied Health Professionals, NUAHP.

 

“The workers have never acted in any form of impunity and never barred the Medical Director from duty.

 

‘’The use of such derogatory word as hooliganism is an affront and a way to intimidate workers,” the  unions stated.

 

The workers recalled that when they were invited to Abuja, they offered concrete evidences of misappropriation of funds and expected the Ministry of Health to do he needful and save patients from exorbitant bills.

 

 

While condemning the current attempt by some people in the Federal Ministry of Health to paint the workers black before the public, the labour leaders also disclosed that their protests held under the close watch of operatives of the Directorate of State Services, DSS.

 

“The need for lawlessness, use of hired thugs, booing and molestation never arose.

 

‘’We signed a security pact with the Department of State Service, DSS. We only asked the FMC board to reduce their stand on the planned Public Private Partnership, PPP, on paper,” the workers stated.

 

By Chidi Nkwopara 

Vanguard