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Activities were grounded at the University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan, on Monday as security men and cleaners at the facility embarked on a strike, locking the two gates leading to the hospital and preventing entry of staff and patients.
Reports said the workers were protesting non-payment of their 11 months salaries by the hospital.
As early as 7am, the two roads leading to the facility were blocked with hundreds of other road users, including workers heading for the state secretariat nearby, trapped. Many patients who had early appointments at the hospital lamented the situation.
One of the workers, who pleaded anonymity, accused the Chief Medical Director of the hospital, Prof Temitope Alonge, of deliberately withholding the fund meant for their salaries.
According to reports, Alonge had explained to the striking workers that their salaries were not paid directly by the hospital but through an agency which the FG contracted the two departments to.
It was learnt that the CMD promised to pay one month salary to the workers from the hospital’s Internally Generated Revenue while efforts would be made to ensure speedy payment by the agency involved.