By Moses Akwashiki
The Nigerian Union of Allied Health Professionals (NUAHP), University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan, will commence an indefinite strike on Wednesday, September 16, over its demand for the reinstatement of the hospital’s Director of Pharmaceutical Services, Dr Adeyinka Ishola.
The union is demanding the implementation of the recommendation of the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, which, according to NUAHP, found Ishola not guilty of any fraudulent act in connection with the sale of a tricycle donated to the Pharmacy Department.
Speaking at a news conference on Tuesday, the Chairman of NUAHP, Comrade Oladayo Olabampe, said the industrial action had become necessary after several efforts by the union to secure Ishola’s reinstatement failed.
Olabampe said the report submitted by the union’s representative, who served as an observer during the initial investigation, indicated that the investigative panel appeared to have reached a conclusion about Ishola’s fate before hearing his defence.
He said that after several sittings, the panel recommended that Ishola be suspended in the interest of the public, with its recommendation forwarded to the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare for ratification and approval.
According to the NUAHP chairman, the ministry subsequently sent a team of investigators to UCH to conduct an independent investigation.
“The ministry, in its wisdom, sent a team of investigators to UCH to conduct an independent investigation. The panel found Dr Ishola not guilty of any fraudulent act but only guilty of not carrying the management along in the sale of the tricycle.
“Rather than approving the dismissal recommended by UCH, the ministry, after a thorough investigation, recommended that the director be reprimanded and then reinstated.
“We are, however, surprised that the UCH management is not pleased with this outcome and has, for months, refused to implement the verdict of its supervisory ministry.
“We hold a contrary view to that of the management of UCH, which believes that the verdict of the ministry is not final.
“We hereby declare that Dr Adeyinka Ishola is not a thief, though he might have committed an administrative error by not carrying the management along. Since the ministry has decided that he be reprimanded, we stand by this decision.
“Having dialogued with the management on several occasions to no avail, we have hereby resolved to declare a trade dispute over this matter.
“After two series of ultimatums, we have decided to mobilise our members for an indefinite strike with effect from Wednesday, September 16, 2026. The strike shall continue until our demands are met,” Olabampe said.
Ishola was removed from office more than a year ago following an allegation that he sold the tricycle without the knowledge of the UCH management.
The director was said to have told the investigative panel set up by the hospital management that the tricycle was a personal gift to him from a pharmaceutical company seeking to secure favourable patronage.
He reportedly challenged the panel to seek clarification from the donor company regarding the circumstances surrounding the gift.
Ishola was quoted as saying that he voluntarily decided to hand over the tricycle to the department but later discovered that it would be difficult to maintain because spare parts might not be readily available, as it was a fabricated model rather than the conventional type commonly used for commercial purposes.
He further explained that the N1.3 million proceeds from the sale of the tricycle were spent on various needs of the department, including replacing trolley tyres and laptop batteries and providing office chairs for some offices.
According to him, the funds were fully accounted for, with all relevant documents presented to the investigative panel.
Never miss a moment! Get the stories shaping Nigeria, delivered straight to your phone. Follow Peoplesdaily Newspaper on WhatsApp for breaking news, exclusive reports, and the headlines everyone will be talking about, before anyone else.
