PRESS RELEASE; ARD UNTH drags UNTH
Management to Court
Following an ill-advised order from UNTH Management threatening to
sack/replace house officers who are bonafide members of Association of Resident
Doctors, University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital, Ituku Ozall, Enugu State (ARD
UNTH) if they fail to resume work by Monday, 2nd November, 2015 in a
notice dated 28th October,
2015, with REF: UNTH/BM/82/S.2/VOL and signed by Bar S. Ike Nkume on behalf of
UNTH Management, the Executives of ARD UNTH in a proactive step to save the
members (house officers) the evil claws of the UNTH Management, yesterday dragged the UNTH Management to the National Industrial
Court of Nigeria in Suit No: NICN/EN/100/2015 praying amongst many other things
for an order of the Court restraining the Director of Administration, Barr S.
Ike Nkume and the Chief Medical Director, Dr C. C. Amah and their
agents/cronies from victimizing, sacking or replacing any of the Members of ARD
UNTH in the course of the present industrial dispute which they caused in its
entirety.
It should be noted that soon after the threat was issued on Wednesday,
28th October, 2015 and announced on Radio Nigeria, Coal City FM at
different times, ARD UNTH promptly responded in a letter dated 29th
October, 2015, reminding the Director of Administration (DA) of UNTH that ARD UNTH is in an industrial
dispute with UNTH Management and that house officers are fully members of ARD
UNTH and have participated in all our struggles. We also made it clear that the
membership of house officers in ARD UNTH is protected amongst many other laws
by;
1. Section 40 of the 1999 Constitution of
the Federal Republic of Nigeria which has not been contravened by any Law in
Nigeria and beyond;
2. A circular from the Federal Ministry of
Health dated 4th July, 2014 with Ref No: C2262T/19 signed on behalf
of the Honourable Minister by the Permanent Secretary Mr Linus Awute, conferring
freedom on house officers to belong to ARD.
and
3. Article 3, Section 1, subsection 1 of
the ARD UNTH Constitution.
ARD UNTH was compelled to seek refuge in the Court of Law because
of the antecedents of the UNTH Management as presently constituted in priding
and indulging in all forms of illegal activities ranging from civil to
financial, as such we are fearful that they may refuse to heed to the voice of
reason and common sense as contained in our response letter and proceed with
their planned illegal action. It is in the interest of the general public and
patients of UNTH that we have taken this proactive step to prevent further degeneration
and deepening of the present crisis which will definitely culminate in further
prolongation of the present strike action, should they be allowed to take the
deadly step.
ARD UNTH also expressed so much disappointment that the DA of UNTH,
Bar S. Ike Nkume, who rose through the ranks of Civil Service in the manner he
did would allow himself to be used for such a regrettable move. We are appalled
that the DA who was supposed to have made moves to settle the dispute, being
part of the top management team, have not only withdrawn himself from the peace
process, but chose to be used to fuel the crisis.
This whole failed move by the UNTH Management may have succeeded in
eroding whatever confidence/trust we may have left in the UNTH Management
considering that peace moves have already started before they launched this
attack, an insult to our collective sensibility.
We pray the general public to bear with us as we fight for the
liberation of our dear hospital, UNTH, in the best interest of the patients of
UNTH and also for the welfare and basic rights of the doctors in UNTH.
Thanks.
Signed:
Dr Ugwuoke Aloy
Ifedinso
President
Dr Ndiokwelu Chibuzo
General
Secretary
Public Relations Officer
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