There was pandemonium yesterday at the University of Abuja Teaching Hospital (UATH), Gwagwalada, as activities were disrupted by contract staff due to protest over nonpayment of six months salaries.
The aggrieved workers, who participated in the protest are security guards, porters and cleaners under ICON Nigeria Ltd attached to the hospital. These staff blocked the main gate leading into the hospital demanding for their unpaid salaries.
They carried placards with inscriptions such as “Pay us our money”, “Are we not Nigerians”, “Some of us are widows”, “Our children are out of school”, “Buhari and minister of health must hear this”.
One of the protesters, Joy Ukele, said all their complaints to the management of the hospital over unpaid six months salaries fell on deaf ears.
The protesters barricaded the main entrance of the hospital, preventing people from coming in and going out.
It was also observed that the protest also resulted to gridlock along the Gwagwalada-Dobi-Izom road of the hospital axis.
The spokesman of the group, Mr. Leonard Mbanile, said they will resist any attempt to stop them from the protest until their salary arrears were paid.
In his word, “Our salary is N15,000 only for six months so they should pay us because our children are dying of hunger.”
The protesting workers vowed to continue with the protest after they gave the hospital management one-day ultimatum to clear their outstanding allowances.
The Chief Medical Director (CMD) of the hospital, Chairman of the hospitals’ medical advisory committee, Mr. Nicholas Bamlong, admitted that the hospital management is owing them but appealed to them to be patient, saying that the management will pay them as soon as possible.
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