Health workers in Kogi threaten to withdraw services

State sends back 150 Fulani, almajirai
Health workers at the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Lokoja, Kogi State, have threatened to withdraw their services if nothing is done to protect them from contracting the coronavirus disease (COVID-19).

The chairman, Joint Health Sector Union (JOHESU), Samuel Obajemu, gave the indication when he led other health workers’ unions at the FMC on a visit to the leadership of the organised labour in Lokoja.

Obajemu told the NLC leadership that health workers at the FMC were daily exposed to the dreaded disease, since there were no Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and provision for testing of patients to know their COVID-19 status.

He noted that doctors and other health workers at the medical centre worked at the risk of their lives and that of their families.

According to him, if nothing is done quickly by the government and the management of FMC, they may be forced to withdraw their services or turn patients away from the centre.

The unions therefore called on the organised labour in Kogi to wade into the matter.

Responding, the NLC chairman in Kogi, Onuh Edoka, expressed gratitude to the unions and workers for the selfless services they were rendering to the residents, and promised to take their matter to the appropriate quarters.

Meanwhile, about 150 Fulani have been sent packing by the state government, to their various states.

The Guardian reliably gathered that the visitors were in different trucks when they were intercepted in Lokoja Council by a joint security outfit operation, ‘Operation Lungun Lungun’.

Confirming the incident yesterday, the Senior Special Assistant to Kogi State Governor on Security in Lokoja, Mohammed Dansebe, told The Guardian that the lives of the citizens of Kogi remained a top priority of the government.

“Some days back, we sent back to Kano some almajirai who wanted to enter Lokoja and environs. Also, we were able to intercept 150 Fulani loaded in two trucks between midnight and 1a.m. on Monday. When we interrogated them, they said they wanted to change their location from Kpareke to Oworo land here in Lokoja. They were lamenting that kidnappers had been disturbing them in Kpareke, hence the need to change their base.

“If their claim is genuine, why did they travel at night and wanted to evade security check? There are protocols to follow if you intend to relocate from one community to another. We will leave no stone unturned to ensure that Kogi is free of coronavirus,” he said.