Christopher Isiguzo in Enugu
Enugu State Council of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) on Wednesday demanded the immediate removal of the Medical Director of Federal Neuropsychiatric Hospital, Enugu, Dr. Jojo Onwukwe, by the federal government, accusing him of flagrant disregard for the rule of law and abuse of office.
The congress, while handing down a seven-day ultimatum for the Medical Director’s removal, threatened to declare an indefinite strike if the action was not carried out.
The threat by the NLC is coming barely one week after the Minister of Health, Prof Isaac Adewole, visited the facility in which he commended the hospital’s management for the array of achievements it recorded in the past years. The minister had appealed to the aggrieved workers to sheathe their swords, noting that only the president could order the sack of the Medical Director.
Apparently not bothered by the minister’s clean bill of health to Onwukwe and his team, the State Vice Chairman of NLC, Comrade Christopher Okezie, who briefed newsmen after an emergency meeting of the State Executive Council (SEC) at the Congress Secretariat in Enugu, said anything short of the removal of the embattled Onwukwe would not be acceptable
Okezie warned that if the Federal Government fails to remove Onwuke after seven days, NLC will call out all workers in Enugu State for an indefinite strike.
Okezie also called on the anti-corruption agencies, especially the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and Independent Corrupt Practices and Related Offences Commission (ICPC) to rise up to their constitutional duties by investigating the corruption and sharp practices going on in the hospital under Onwuke.
He said NLC would not rest on its oars until the illegality and lawlessness in Federal Psychiatric Hospital Enugu is checkmated through the removal of Onwukwe.
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