Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) Enugu State Council has threatened to ground economic activities in Enugu over the alleged poor working conditions at the Federal Neuropsychiatric Hospital, Enugu.
The union said if the federal government failed to remove the Chief Medical Director, of the Hospital, Dr. Jojo Onwukwe, it would mobilize Enugu workers to ground activities in the State.
The workers gave a 7-day ultimatum to the government, which they said became unavoidable as a result the Onwukwe’s alleged lawlessness and abuse of office.
State Vice Chairman of NLC, Comrade Christopher Okezie made the ultimatum known at a press briefing yesterday after an emergency meeting of the State Executive Council (SEC) at the Congress Secretariat in Enugu.
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.
He further called on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, 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.
The NLC boss said the body would not rest on its oars until the illegality and lawlessness in Federal Psychiatric Hospital Enugu is restored by removing the Medical Director, Dr Jojo Onwuke.
A communiqué issued at the end of the meeting stated that the SEC-in-session noted with seriousness the deteriorating industrial crisis in the Federal Neuropsychiatric Hospital Enugu and condemns the attack on the Chairman of NLC, Comrade Virginus Nwobodo who was only defending the rights of the oppressed workers in the hospital by paid hirelings sponsored by the hospital management.
The communiqué which was signed by the State Vice Chairman, Comrade Christopher Okezie and Chairman, Media and Publicity Committee, Comrade Theo Obasiani, said the SEC-in-session supports the call for the removal of the Medical Director of the hospital, Dr. Jojo Onwukwe who has been behaving and acting like a person infested with psychiatric virus and equally enmeshed in corruption and sharp practices.
It further urged the leadership of the congress not to cave in for the petty blackmail which is the usual weapon of oppressors and drowning men in the pursuit of actualization of rights of workers and legitimate demands.
“The SEC-in-session calls on all the affiliates of the Nigerian Labour Congress to close ranks and build strong solidarity among unions and guard against infiltration by black leg labour leaders who are wolves in sheep’s clothing.
Part of it reads thus: “SEC-in-session reposed her implicit confidence on the State Chairman of NLC, Enugu State Council for his dynamism and forthrightness in the pursuit of workers demands.
“SEC-in-session insists that it will not rest on its oars until the illegality and lawlessness in Federal Psychiatric Hospital Enugu is restored by removing the Medical Director, Dr Jojo Onwuke who is a social nuisance”, the communiqué read.
The SEC-in-session equally commended the National Secretariat of NLC for the ongoing free wellness/know your health status exercise in the state, which is aimed at testing blood pressure, blood sugar, eyes, malaria, RDT, HIV and dental examination of workers in work places for early detection of these silent killer diseases.
