… Protesting staff barricade road, accuse CMD of complicity
• Your allegations are baseless –PRO
From Wole Balogun, Ado Ekiti
Pandemonium broke out at the Federal Teaching Hospital, (FETHI), Ido-Ekiti when some members of staff of the hospital trooped out to protest what they alleged as killing of colleagues with juju and diabolical practices.
Their protest early yesterday morning, came on the heels of the death of six doctors from the state on their way to the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) Annual General Meeting (AGM) in Sokoto State.
The protesters, who identified themselves as Senior Staff Association of University Teaching Hospitals, besieged the gate of the hospital as early as 6:00am and chanted hate songs against the chief medical director (CMD), alleging complicity in the incident.
Speaking to reporters on behalf of the union, Publicity Secretary of the Ekiti State branch of the union, Mr. Tope Ogunleye, said: “This isn’t really a protest, we are just using this avenue to register our grievances. On Sunday afternoon, we heard of a terrible incident where three of our doctors died in a ghastly auto accident. The three doctors were: Dr. Alex Akinyele; Dr. Tunde Aladesanmi and Dr. Adeniji.
“They had joined others as part of the contingents for the NMA meeting in Sokoto. It is unfortunate that we lost six of our doctors, including a driver. We are worried that this tragic incident is becoming too regular since this present administration, led by the incumbent CMD mounted the saddle.
“Sometimes last year, we lost four of our members. It is more worrisome that we learnt that all these are happening because so many diabolical things have been going on in the hospital.
“Also, we have been seeing so many concoctions and juju in the premises of the hospital and we know that this is no more ordinary.
“Our demand and that of our members who have elected us as their leaders is the immediate change of the Medical Director, Dr. Majekodunmi Ayodele,” he said.
Repeated calls to the CMD’s telephone line did not go through, but the Public Relations Officer (PRP) of the hospital, Mr. Adeboyejo Adekunle, who reacted to the staff’s allegations on phone, said: “My reaction is that all those allegations against him (CMD) are baseless. You cannot attribute somebody’s death to the CMD. He is not a killer; he has not been killing people. People die in workplaces all over the world.
“Anybody can say anything, but I want to assure you that he is not the one killing people. The protests and allegations are the works of disgruntled elements in the hospital, who feel that if anything happens in the hospital, the CMD must have been the culprit. You know that some doctors from the Ekiti State Teaching Hospital, Ado Ekiti also died in the said accident, but nobody accused the CMD there, as being the killer,” he said..
