By Our Reporter, Uyo
Fresh facts have emerged that, the University of Uyo Teaching Hospital (UUTH)’s refusal to reabsorb sacked staffers of the institution, as directed by the Federal Ministry of Health, Abuja in 2008 is not due to paucity of funds but, victimization and nonchalant attitude of the management towards workers welfare.
During a peace meeting between the aggrieved workers and UUTH management at the police headquarters, Ikot Akpan Abia, Uyo recently, following a protest letter to the Commissioner of Police by the former, it was alleged that the hospital authority was lamenting how they would clear the backlog of salaries and other entitlements for 13 years if the workers are reabsorbed.
Attorney to the aggrieved workers, Barrister Francis Ita disclosed this to newsmen in Uyo on Wednesday alleging, that salaries and entitlements of his clients for 13 years may have been diverted hence, the foot dragging by the management.
He said that discrete investigation revealed that since the workers were recalled by the Federal Civil Service Commission, their retirement saving account statements from NLPC pension administrators have been running till date; indirectly meaning that their monthly salaries are simultaneously being paid by the government.
Global Patriot learned that about 34 junior workers in different directorates and departments were disengaged from the services of the hospital on grounds of public policy that affected Federal Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) on December 31, 2006 but were later reinstated by the Federal Civil Service Commission since January 20, 2009.
Moved by the reluctance of the Chief Medical Director, University of Uyo Teaching Hospital, Prof. Emem-Abasi Bassey to honour the directive of the Head of Service of the Federation’s circular on their reinstatement, Ref. No. HCSF/PSO/PARA/437/3402/T1/95M dated December 24, 2008 the workers decided to charge the case to the National Industrial Court, Uyo Judicial Division and obtained judgment in their favour.
Miffed by the judgment of the National Industrial Court, UUTH appealed the judgment at the Court of Appeal, Calabar Judicial Division and lost again to the workers on March 25 last year.
When the Minister of Health was briefed on the outcome of the matter, the CMD, Prof. Emem Bassey was directed through a letter on September 22, 2020 to comply with the Federal Government circular in line with the court orders.
Based on the obvious reluctance of the CMD to comply with the court judgment, action in contempt was instituted against him, and when he was served with the court process, he was said to have hurriedly organized a screening interview for the aggrieved workers on February 3, 2021.
The counsel said, six months after that purported interview and documentation, his clients are still awaiting the outcome but, the hospital management as at March 23, 2021 was quoted to have said that, ”recapturing and pay rolling” were not within their control.
The counsel however, argued that, “these were former workers of the hospital who worked and got paid before their predicament, whose responsibility it is to recapture and pay roll them?”
Contrary to the claims by the hospital, however, a Deputy Director in the State’s civil service who did not want his name in print described the claims of the hospital management as intriguing, wondering why they would continue to deny the workers their privileges by keeping them perpetually in limbo.
He advised that the hospital’s administration in collaboration with the accounts department can perform the recapturing and pay rolling, and forward the result to the Federal Ministry of Health, which directed the reinstatement of the workers.
Meanwhile, counsel to the workers has demanded a speedy process of recapturing and pay rolling of the workers by the University of Uyo Teaching Hospital.
Failure to do so, he said he would deploy the necessary legal procedures pursuant to section 40 of the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended); Article 11 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights 1981; and Article 21 on International Convention on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) 1966 to obtain justice for the aggrieved workers.
He called on the Minister of Health, Board Chairman, University of Uyo Teaching Hospital, Senator Salihu Hussain Egye, Head of Service of the Federation and other stakeholders to take action against the CMD, Prof. Emem-Abasi Bassey and the management of the hospital for insubordination and disobedience to court orders.
He added that, all the security agencies in the State, Nigeria Labour Congress, Oku Traditional Rulers Council and the Civil Society organizations have been duly notified.
