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Abia doctors barricade govt house, demand payment of 24-month salary arrears

Published

1 year ago

January 15, 2023

Medical Doctors in Abia State, protesting 24-month salary arrears owed medical and non-medical staff of Abia State University Teaching Hospital Aba (ABSUTH), again barricaded the entrance to the Abia Government House, Umuahia.

The doctors who came out in their numbers said that they were also protesting 13 months arrears owed doctors and other staff of Health Management Board.

The doctors who came from different parts of the state gathered at the Federal Medical Centre, Umuahia from where they marched to the Government House gate.

They chanted solidarity songs even as the doctors carried placards with different inscriptions such as: “Doctors lives matter”; “Our salary is our entitlement”; “2 years without salary ‘no be jokes’”; “Man’s inhumanity to man”, among others.

The State Chairman of the Nigeria Medical Association (NMA), Dr Isaiah Abali, who led the procession, said that doctors in the employ of the state government were passing through hell following many months of unpaid wages.

He bemoaned the condition of the doctors many of whom he said, “no longer meet their daily needs”.

Dr Abali expressed sadness over government’s inability to clear the backlog of salary arrears of doctors.

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He said that the protest had no political undertones, and asked the government to stop giving excuses, but clear the outstanding arrears.

The NMA state Secretary, Dr Daniel Ekeleme, had earlier reeled out the bitter experiences of some doctors in the hands of their landlord following their inability to renew their house rents.

A Consultant Hematologist at ABSUTH, Dr Chika Uche, said that it was unfair for the government, which “receives allocation every month” to pay political office holders with jumbo allowances, but owe workers who earn peanuts.

She described the nonchalant attitude of the government to the plight of doctors as cruelty and the height of insensitivity.

But speaking in Umuahia yesterday, Chief John Okiyi-Kalu, director of Strategic Engagement, Abia State Chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Campaign Council called on the people of the state to demand a factual response from the Nigerian Medical Association on the lingering dispute between doctors and the state government.

Okiyi-Kalu said that facts have shown that since the inception of the Dr Okezie Ikpeazu’s administration in 2015 the medical doctors have been on strike for 35 months.

He questioned the moral right the doctors have to demand such payments when facts and figures at the disposal of the government, according to him, were listed undisputably by the state Commissioner for Information, Eze Chikamnayo, show that they do not merit what they are demanding.

Okiyi-Kalu urged the Abia people to eschew all forms of political gimmicks and question some abnormalities in the Abia health sector causing the conflict, stressing that every conflict should end in permanent solutions to society’s challenges, including the ongoing one between the Abia Government and NMA.

“Naturally, because of the important role played by medical doctors in the health management chain, it is expected that popular sentiments will be in support of the striking doctors and weighed against the government more so when arrowheads of the strike timed it to coincide with the forthcoming general elections that some desperate opposition politicians are ready to attempt to win by hook or crook.

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“But the question to ask is if those medical doctors actually worked for the months of arrears they are demanding payment for or should pay the government and people of Abia State for receiving more salary than they have worked for.”

Okiyi-Kalu said that the root of the current wage management challenge in HMB and ABSUTH is traceable to 2015, where he witnessed a meeting between Governor Okezie Ikpeazu who was new in office and management and union leaders from ABSUTH at the Government House in Umuahia.

According to him, the meeting was called to stave off planned strike by the doctors and the crux of their presentation to the governor was simply that he paid off the arrears of salary owed them and they would from thenceforth make revenue to fund their regular salary payment.

He said that they also requested support with more modern equipment for their operations and later in the life of the administration asked for ABSUTH road to be fixed, which according to him, were all granted by the governor.

“Governor Okezie Ikpeazu went ahead to pay them 11 months salary arrears in one tranche that same year. For those medical doctors earning N500,000/month, they received an alert of N5, 500,000.00 in one day per person.

“Two months after receiving the jumbo alert, the management of ABSUTH and some of the union leaders returned to the governor to plead that they be given subventions to continue paying salary while they adjust operationally to build on their IGR and commence running independently. Governor Ikpeazu obliged them again.

“Interestingly, shortly after the jumbo pay by the government, many of those medical doctors ‘invested’ the money on improving their private clinics or renting and equipping new clinics. And as they ensured that their personal businesses were booming ABSUTH’s fortunes continued to depreciate,” he noted.

Okiyi-Kalu said that the painful part of the whole thing was that despite the governor’s earlier efforts, privates clinics of doctors were booming and rather than generate more revenue to at least pay themselves, their IGR continued to dwindle from what it was in 2015 till date, as they racked up 35 months of strike without work, yet are making demands that the government must pay them for those months they were on strike.

He, however, alleged that there is a political undertone in what the NMA and HMB are doing currently saying, saying “I personally do not want to engage on issues of political motivation for labour recalcitrance at this time, even though I can personally attest to at least three executive members of Abia NMA attending a political rally in Aba organized by an opposition party.SUN

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How I formed kidnap gang while in prison – kidnapper

Published

48 mins ago

April 28, 2024

Trends Admin

Gift Ogbo

How I formed kidnap gang while in prison – kidnapper

One Gift Ogbo, a suspected kidnapper, has disclosed that his kidnap gang was formed during his eleven years in Nigeria’s prison.

Ogbo, 39, who hails from Ndele, Emohua Local Government Area of the State, was arrested by the police in Rivers state during a botched kidnap operation.

He is currently in a hospital receiving treatment for injuries sustained during the kidnap operation on March 29, 2024.

Ogbo said he had never acquired a formal education since birth, adding that from a very tender age he always roamed his village during school hours looking for what to steal

According to Vanguard, Ogbo led three members of his gang on a kidnap mission, in their operational tricycle, on Nkpolu road.

They reportedly intercepted a white Mercedes-Benz ML 350 4matic , parked on the road, with two occupants in the driver and passenger seats.

The driver of the Mercedes was said to have hit a wall while attempting to reverse and escape.

He reportedly drove menacingly towards two suspected members of the gang that stood in front of the car and ran over them.

After seeing that Ogbo and another member of the gang identified simply as Oyi-Baba have been run over by the driver and rendered incapacitated by the incident, their colleagues abandoned them and fled the scene.

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A mob was said to have pounced on them and was at the brink of setting them ablaze when a Rapid Response Team that was contacted arrived the scene.

While Oyi-Baba reportedly died in the hospital, Ogbo , is still undergoing treatment, according to Police sources.

From the hospital bed, Ogbo, said, “ In 2012, I attacked one of my uncles during an argument over a parcel of land and he died in the process.

I was arrested and charged for murder. While serving my 11 years hail term, I made friends with some inmates.

“Upon my release in December 2023, I returned to Ndele and rallied two old friends, Gift Kpanuku, aka Oyi-Baba and one Sunny, aka Onye-meme.

”We teamed up with two released members of the gang I formed in prison: Isaac and Ugo and immediately devised a plan to start a kidnap-for-ransom gang.

“ We stole from residents of Ndele to raise money for arms. We raised 370,000 and used it to purchase two locally made shot guns in Akwa-Ibom from Smart, a gunrunner I also met in prison.

“ We went on the first mission on March 13, 2024, at about 8.45 p.m. We snatched a red Mazda 323 from a local taxi driver to use as operational vehicle. On that same evening, we met a man and his wife who parked their car in front of a doctor’s office at Nkpolu. We ordered them out of their Volkswagen Touareg, pushed them into the back seat of the car and drove off with them, abandoning the stolen Mazda.

“ But on the way to our hideout, there was traffic .While contemplating an alternative route, the woman jumped out of the car. In anger, I shot her husband in both thighs, and we sped off.

We took him to a compound in Eleme, took his gold chain, gold wristwatch , his phone and wife’s phone which she left . We used his ATM card to withdraw N530, 000, via

How I formed kidnap gang while in prison – kidnapper

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Landmines kill 5 JTF members, others wounded on Borno highway

Published

3 hours ago

April 28, 2024

Trends Admin

Landmines kill 5 JTF members, others wounded on Borno highway

At least five civilian JTF members have been killed and unspecified others sustained varying degrees of injury when they stepped on landmines along the Maiduguri/Gomboru Ngala highway in Dikwa Local Government Area of Borno State, sources said.

It was learnt that the incident occurred around Gajibo village about 12:30pm on Saturday.

According to a security source who spoke to Daily Trust on Sunday, no fewer than five persons lost their lives when they stepped on landmines planted by suspected Boko Haram insurgents.

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“There were devastating landmines this afternoon around Gajibo community in Dikwa Local Government Area, killing at least five CJTF members and others seriously injured,” the security source said.

A top CJTF commander in Maiduguri confirmed the attacked to our correspondent, adding they were on patrol when they mistakenly stepped on explosives near Gajibo village on Saturday afternoon.

He said they lost some members, but the details were not yet available at press time.

The Nigerian Army is yet to issue any statement on the incident.

Landmines kill 5 JTF members, others wounded on Borno highway

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Why I broke down in tears – Saudi Arabia maid impregnated by boss narrates ordeal

Published

3 hours ago

April 28, 2024

Trends Admin

Faith Wambui

Why I broke down in tears – Saudi Arabia maid impregnated by boss narrates ordeal

A Kenyan lady, Faith Wambui, who worked as a maid in Saudi Arabia, has come forward to share her traumatic ordeal of being impregnated by her Saudi Arabian boss.

Speaking exclusively to Tuko, the lady revealed the agonizing challenges she faced, including deprivation of food, sleep, and exploitation.

According to the lady, she embarked on a journey to Saudi Arabia with the assistance of her elder sister.

However, what awaited her there was far from the envisioned prospects. From the outset, she faced hostility from her employer, who harbored a deep-seated dislike towards her.

The lady recounted distressing instances where she endured days without adequate food and sufficient rest.

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Despite the unbearable conditions, she found herself trapped between the harsh reality of her situation and the pressing needs of her family back home, compelling her to endure the hardships imposed upon her.

“He won’t give me enough food. Sometimes, I would go for three days without eating. I also did not used to get enough sleep. I really wanted to quit, but when I remembered the problems back home, I decided to endure the hardships in the house,” she said in a part

Adding to her torment, the lady revealed the treacherous actions of her boss’s brother, who cunningly manipulated her vulnerabilities.

He resorted to deceitful tactics, including hiding food from her and exploiting her desperation by offering monetary assistance.

“He would bring me some rice and soda. Sometimes, he would give me money, which I would later ask him to send to my family as my first three-month salary was going to my agent.” she added.

The lady sadly revealed that she was forced to have an affair with him, which led to her becoming pregnant.