Workers Lambast Host Community for Disrupting Activities at DUFUTH
Emmanuel Ugwu-Nwogo in Umuahia
Workers at the David Umahi Federal University Teaching Hospital(DUFUTH) in Uburu, Ebonyi State, have decried the disruption of academic and administrative activities as well as medical services at the tertiary health institution.
Protesters from Uburu in Ohaozara Local Government Area in the state had last Monday staged a protest at the teaching hospital, barricading the entrance and the office of the Chief Medical Director (CMD), Professor Uzoma Agwu. The protesters, who levelled sundry allegations against the CMD demanded that she must resign and vacate the hospital with her belongings. But the workers of the tertiary health institution, under the aegis of the DUFUTH Staff Welfare Association, representing all staff engaged at the hospital have risen in defence of their CMD, hitting back at the “misguided” demonstrators.
The DUFUTH staff organised a solidarity rally last Tuesday and passed a vote of confidence on Prof Agwu, urging the Uburu protesters and their sponsors to stop meddling in the affairs of the federal institution in their locality.
In the communique issued after their rally, the DUFUTH workers said they were “shocked and dismayed by the unwarranted protests held on March 24, 2025.”
They dismissed “the baseless allegations being circulated by the demonstrators,” adding that “three-page document presented by the organisers is a pre-conceived can of falsehood to cast aspersion on our hardworking CMD.
“The entire staff of DUFUTH in one voice maintains a strong vote of confidence on our Chief Medical Director, Professor Uzoma Agwu,” the workers declared in one accord, describing the CMD as “a woman of proven track records in hospital management, integrity and genuine commitment to public service.”
In the communique read by the public relations officer of the staff association, Mr. Jideofor Ibekwe, the DUFUTH workers noted that the CMD “has spent days and nights within the hospital to nurture the institution from cradle since 2022.”
They frowned at the “ridiculous allegations of criminal repurposing of facilities, and removal of beds, foams, medications and generators from the teaching hospital, as well as of corruption and abuse of office, leveled against the CMD.”
The staff association, therefore, urged both the federal government and the supervising ministry to disregard what they regard as politically motivated spurious allegations as there is no evidence to support them.
“We wish to tell the world that since the inception of DUFUTH, the hospital has been guided by regulations, conventions, extant rules and approved laws guiding the conduct of federal teaching hospitals,” the workers declared in their communique.
They pointed out that the day-to-day running of the institution has been operating under “the tutelage of our parent Ministry, the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare and the Office of the Head of Civil Service of the Federation.”
According to them, with the sterling leadership of Prof Agwu, DUFUTH has been “consistently demonstrating readiness for clinical training of students with various batches of 300 level students already undergoing/completed training.”
“Furthermore, relatives of patients who went out to source for personal effects were also denied access back into the hospital upon their return, without regard to the care and support to their loved ones.
“That we are deeply concerned by the protesters’ demand to cancel the forthcoming recruitment exercise at DUFUTH, particularly as the local community stands to benefit significantly from the employment,” they said.
Furthermore, the hospital said it is in dire need of additional staff to bolster its workforce, and cancelling the recruitment exercise would only exacerbate the existing staffing shortages.
“We strongly oppose the calls for the removal of the incumbent Chief Medical Director of DUFUTH, Professor Uzoma Agwu, who is from the host community, as the allegations against her are unsubstantiated and lack merit,” the stated.
