Ekiti threatens action over detained officials

Resident doctors embark on three-day warning strike

The Ekiti State Government yesterday said it was going to the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court to challenge the breach of fundamental human rights of its Finance Commissioner, Toyin Ojo.

Besides Ojo, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) also detained the state Accountant-General, Yemisi Owolabi, for alleged fiscal misconduct.

Speaking with The Guardian on telephone, the state Attorney-General, Kolapo Kolade, said that the state government decided to approach the court for the enforcement of the fundamental rights of the officials being detained, adding that they were neither charged to court nor released unconditionally.

He added that the officials ought not to have been arrested in the first place because there was a pending court injunction barring them from doing so.“Our return date for further hearing on the injunction is Thursday, October 12, 2017. The EFCC has not vacated the injunction, so they err in law by arresting the officer despite a subsisting order.

“The date for definite hearing on the enforcement of fundamental rights is next week Tuesday. So, I can confirm to you that we are already in court.”Ojo and Owolabi were arrested on September 28 over alleged misapplication of Federal Government’s N9.3 billion bailout funds to pay backlog of salaries being owed workers.

Meanwhile, the Ekiti State Association of Resident Doctors (ARD) yesterday embarked on a three-day warning strike to demand for their six-month salary arears from the government.

In a strike notice made available to journalists in Ado-Ekiti, President of the association, Tunji Olaoye said the strike was imperative, as members of the association could no longer afford going to work, as they were not being paid.

The letter of notice of the warning strike was addressed to the Ekiti State Commissioner for Health and Chairman, Board of the Ekiti State University Teaching Hospital (EKSUTH), chairman, Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), top security operatives in the state and President, National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD).

“Following the expiration of a 21-day ultimatum on September 15, 2017, the association held an emergency general meeting on October 9, 2017 where members observed the six-month salary areas owed our members has not been addressed,” the statement reads in part.