Abia State University Teaching Hospital (ABSUTH), Aba, was temporarily shut down on Tuesday following a peaceful protest, ɓy medical and health workers of the institution to demand release of arrears of salaries.
Isaiah Abali, chairman, Abia branch of the Nigerian Medical Association, who spoke on behalf of the protesting workers, expressed sadness over the unpaid workers’ salaries, stressing that it was unfortunate that health workers were neglected in the current harsh economy.
He however called on Governor Alex Otti of Abia State to do all within his powers to ensure that the May and June salaries of all the workers in the hospital are paid, stressing that the economic condition is biting harder.
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“The easiest thing you can do for a worker is to pay him his salary. That’s the most honest earning. Once you have done your work perfectly, there should be no story on why you should not be paid.
“People, who have private enterprises don’t sleep once the month is ending until they pay salary of their workers. We believe the government should follow suit.”
Abali, in his message to Governor Otti, said that ABSUTH workers were suffering, ABSUTH workers both big and small are hungry and are feeling the pains of non-payment of salaries, which is not a good situation to be in Nigeria now.
“All of us are saying that the government should let the workers breathe. We are calling on our amiable Governor, we have seen your giant strides on infrastructure, but we are begging that those strides, should be extended to ABSUTH staff, so that workers will not trek along the well-tarred road, while coming to work.
“It does not make sense that workers will trek from Ogbor-Hill down to Abayi, because they don’t have money for transport. So, we are appealing to the government that ABSUTH staff are hungry.
“We have been trying to calm the workers down, but if you push people hard to the wall you cannot predict what will happen. That’s how revolution starts, but we don’t want revolution now. We want peace and we want the workers to get their salaries”, he added.
Abali said that the workers were not interested in whatever payment method the Government would migrate to but that they were only asking that Government should pay them and not delay the payment.
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“They should have been able to test whatever method they’re migrating to not to be delaying our salary with such excuses. If they are having problems with the new method, let them pay us with the old one and when they have perfected the new method, they can migrate to it.
“We therefore call on the Governor to come to our aid. The majority of our members watch their children chased out of school. Some cannot even recharge their prepaid meters for electricity.
“What then is the essence? We are begging now so that there will be no unnecessary bitterness. We are not political. We’re only saying pay us our salary.”
Chukwuemeka Ariwodo, chairman, Medical and Health Workers Union, ABSUTH branch, said that nobody in ABSUTH was happy because of how the Abia State Government hasld decided to treat them for their dedicated services.
