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Hospital staff send Buhari reminder over alleged victimisation

By Alemma-Ozioruva Aliu, Benin City
16 July 2015   |   12:26 am
OVER one month after they sent a save-our-soul letter to President Muhammadu Buhari, some staff including senior ones of the Federal Psychiatric Hospital, Uselu near Benin City yesterday sent a reminder to the president where they alleged that a management staff has boasted that their earlier petition would never get the ears of the president.
Buhari

Buhari

OVER one month after they sent a save-our-soul letter to President Muhammadu Buhari, some staff including senior ones of the Federal Psychiatric Hospital, Uselu near Benin City yesterday sent a reminder to the president where they alleged that a management staff has boasted that their earlier petition would never get the ears of the president.

The letter, which was signed by the affected staff also alleged that some of their offices were recently broke into and called for investigation into the allegation.

The affected alleged harassment, intimidation, illegal suspensions, illegal termination of appointment, illegal dismissal, alleged witch-hunt and sundry illegal acts against them by the management of the hospital led by Dr. Sunny Olotu who is the Managing Director.

And in a related development, The Guardian gathered that Olotu was recently with the police to respond to issues bordering on petitions written by some aggrieved members of staff But the Public Relations Officer of the hospital, Efe Stewart denied the allegations some of the workers have had cases against as far as 2004 to 2014 and that all those affected were made to face duly constituted panel and the penalties mete to them approved by the Board.

The also said his boss was not witch-hunting anybody and that there is peace in the hospital. And on invitation by the police, Stewart said nobody is above the law “petitions were written and we have responded accordingly” Members of the affected staff included Dr. Charles Ikeji, a Consultant Special Grade 1-GL 17, Pharm (Barr) P. O. Esan, Diretor of Pharmaceutical Services GL 17 said to have died within the period of the alleged harassment, Dr Ambrose Lawani Consultant Special Grade II-GL 16, Ms O. U. Morgan, Assistant Director GL 15, Pharm K. O. Oriakhi, Principal Pharmacist GL 13, Mrs Oluwatoyin Olatoye seun, Occupational Therapist GL 10, Mr T. O. Osifo, Senior Executive Officer, Accounts GL 9, Mr O. J. Ugiagbe-Ogbeide , Admin Officer GDi GL 9, Mr E. O. Ohenhen, Chief Data Processing Officer GL 8, Mr Osatohnamwen Nosa Chief Clerical Officer, GL 7 and Mrs B. E. Aikhorin, Clerical officer GL 7. They all personally signed the letter and copies made available to journalists in Benin City yesterday.

The aggrieved workers want the president to prevail on the management to withdraw “phantom cases instituted in magistrate courts against members of staff by the police from Okhoro Division and AIG Zone 5”, they believed the police was compromised to institute the cases.

They also want the policemen involved in the “phantom cases” probed just as they demand the president to “revisit, exhume and implement the panel report of Rabi Adamu and the numerous petitions of fraudulent acts by Dr S. O. Olotu which have been covered up” and the reinstatement of the victims of “Dr S. O. Olotu’s witch-hunt”.

The aggrieved staff said their ordeal started when the Adamu report submitted that Olotu’s emergence as the Medical Director of the school was fraught with irregularities and he began alleged witch-hunt of staff he perceived as “enemies” They said the workers unions under the Joint Action Committee (JAC) tried to intervene on the administrative style of Olotu to the then President Goodlcuk Jonathan and Minister of Health, professor Onyebuchi Chukwu without response and that the MD allegedly victimised union leaders and formed a parallel executive for the Senior Staff Association of Universities, Teaching Hospitals, Research Institutes and Associated Institutes (SSAUTHRIAI).

The workers particularly lamented the plight of Esan who they said was interdicted in February 2014 till he died in April 28 2015 while still on interdiction. They said Olotu forcefully resumed office and allegedly brutalised Lawani who was then the Acting head of Clinical Services. They also accused the Board of the hospital of being compromised which they said allowed Olotu to do all that he has been doing against them.

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