Edo: Protest as FG sacks 6 psychiatric hospital staff

By Osaigbovo Iguobaro, Benin

Six dismissed staff of the Federal Neuro-psychiatric hospital, Uselu, Benin City, at the Weekend took to the street to demand reinstatement in response to their purported sack already rectified by the Management Board of the institution.
Dr Ambrose Lawani (Consultant Special Drade ll, Mr. O.J. Ugiagbe-Ogbeide (Administrative staff), Theophilus Osifo (Senior Executive officer Accounts), and Pharmacist Kennedy Oriakhi (Principal Pharmacist) were the affected workers currently racing against the tide.
Theophilus Osifo (Senior Executive officer Accounts), and Pharmacist Kennedy Oriakhi (Principal Pharmacist) were alleged to have led their family members and friends to seal up the hospital.
The medical director of the hospital, Dr. Sunday Olotu, while confirming the report at a news briefing, said the decision became necessary to curb the excesses of the staff.
Olotu said Dr. Charles Ikeji (Consultant special Grade 1, and Ms. O. U Morgan (Assistant Director social Welfare) have been placed on suspension by the Federal government.
He wondered why the staff took the laws into their hands instead of taken legal steps to ventilate their grievances.
The two staff who denied any wrong doing, stated that they were victimized and arrested by police attached at Okhoro division in Egor local government area of Edo state, who battled to dispersed the large crowed during the stand-off that lasted for over three hours.
The announcement of their current status on a local Television was reported to have motivated the group to demand justice over what they termed “wrongful dismissal’’- an allegation which the hospital management faulted, claiming that the affected workers have a long history of violence which has set the hospital on edge between 2004 and 2012.