Rose Ejembi, Makurdi
Casual workers of the Federal Medical Centre (FMC) Makurdi, Benue State capital, yesterday, staged a protest to press home their demand for payment of wages owed them for over two years.
The casual workers, who comprised security guards and cleaners were said to have barricaded the entrance to the permanent site of the hospital at Apir, outskirts of Makurdi.
One of the protesters, a security supervisor, Mr. Anijaba Mtomga, who spoke to newsmen, said they decided to stage the protest because the management was owing them 24 months salaries. Mtomga said they resorted to the protest as a last option after all efforts to make the management pay them their monthly emoluments failed.
He said: “The management keeps saying the Federal Government has not released money for our emoluments, and it is almost two years that we have not been paid.
“We understand that the hospital provides essential services to the people, and we have exercised patience and understanding with the management, but, we can no longer continue like this; we have families and other responsibilities to attend to.” Also speaking, Mr James Akase, a cleaner Supervisor said they were being owed nine months salaries by the hospital, stressing they had to resort to protest because the situation was becoming really tough for them to bear.