In a troubling turn of events at the Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospital Complex (OAUTHC) in Ile Ife, Osun State, Nigeria, a peaceful protest by unpaid workers was met with force as police dispersed the gathering with live ammunition and tear gas.
The incident unfolded on the premises of the hospital, with health workers demanding justification for non-payment of salaries.
According to eyewitnesses, the Nigeria Police Force, Division A of Ife Area command, arrived in six patrol vans and an 18-seater bus, armed with live ammunition. They allegedly fired sporadically beside the Accident and Emergency Unit, leading to chaos and panic among protesters.
Owolade Adeyinka, coordinator of the Association of Unpaid OAUTHC Workers, expressed dismay, stating, “How on earth will people who have worked for 14 months, exposed to numerous hazards, keep mute even when their hope is hanging in the balance?”
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The protesters accused the hospital’s Chief Medical Director, Prof. Okeniyi, of ordering the police intervention. Despite contradictory public statements issued by Prof. Okeniyi, the workers remain steadfast in their demands for 14 months’ salary arrears and enrollment into the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System (IPPIS).