ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

The Nigerian Union of Allied Health Professionals, University College Hospital, Ibadan chapter, has commenced an indefinite strike over the alleged refusal of the hospital management to implement the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare’s recommendation on the disciplinary case involving the Director of Pharmaceutical Services, Adeyinka Ishola.

The union announced the industrial action in a letter to its members at the hospital, saying it would commence on Wednesday, September 16, 2026, following what it described as the failure of several efforts to resolve the dispute.

The dispute centres on the sale of a tricycle donated to the Pharmacy Department and the subsequent disciplinary action taken against Ishola.

NUAHP represents 13 of the 15 categories of allied health professionals at the hospital.

The NUAHP Chairman, Oladayo Olabampe, said the union was demanding the implementation of the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare’s recommendation that Ishola be reprimanded and reinstated.

Olabampe said an initial investigation conducted by the hospital had recommended that Ishola be suspended, with the recommendation forwarded to the ministry for ratification.

He said the ministry subsequently sent an independent investigative team to the hospital, which reached a different conclusion.

“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,” he said.

He added, “Rather than approving the dismissal recommended by UCH, the ministry, after a thorough investigation, recommended that the director be reprimanded and then reinstated.”

The union chairman accused the hospital management of refusing to implement the recommendation despite the ministry being its supervisory authority.

“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,” Olabampe said.

He said the union disagreed with the position of the hospital management that the ministry’s decision was not final.

“We hold a contrary view to that of the management of UCH, which believes that the verdict of the ministry is not final,” he said.

Defending Ishola, Olabampe said the union did not believe that the sale of the tricycle amounted to fraud.

“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,” he said.

The NUAHP chairman said the union had exhausted its attempts to resolve the matter through dialogue.

“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 added.

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 tricycle was reportedly donated by a pharmaceutical company.

Ishola was said to have told the hospital’s investigative panel that the item was initially a personal gift to him from the company, which he subsequently handed over to the Pharmacy Department.

He reportedly challenged the panel to seek clarification from the donor company on the circumstances surrounding the donation.

Ishola was also quoted as explaining that he decided to sell the tricycle after discovering that its maintenance could be difficult 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 N1.3m proceeds from the sale were used to address various needs of the department, including replacing trolley tyres and laptop batteries and providing office chairs for some offices.

According to his account, the proceeds were fully accounted for, with relevant documents presented to the investigative panel.

The controversy over the ownership and disposal of the tricycle has, however, remained at the centre of the dispute, with the hospital management reportedly maintaining that the item became hospital property after Ishola handed it over to the Pharmacy Department.

The latest industrial action comes amid previous labour disputes at UCH.

In March 2026, workers under the Council of UCH Union Leaders embarked on a five-day warning strike over alleged electricity rationing at the hospital, with the unions citing its impact on surgeries, laboratory services and other clinical operations.

The latest dispute could further disrupt services at the tertiary institution, which serves as a major referral and training centre for patients and health professionals in the country.

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

The Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has countered the claims by the Anambra State government under Charles Soludo that he left loans and other liabilities when he completed his tenure as the state governor.

Obi on Wednesday made public his handover note, dated March 17, 2024, which shows a summary of the full financial statement of the Anambra State government as at close of business that day.

The statement showed a net positive balance of over ₦ 86 billion.

The Genius Media Nigeria recalls that the Anambra State government had claimed it is still repaying loans obtained by previous administrations, including those of former governors Peter Obi and Willie Obiano.

The State Commissioner for Finance, Izuchukwu Okafor, made this revelation on Sunday while speaking on the Ndi Anambra podcast released by the state government’s New Media team.

He said the inherited loans are part of the incumbent administration’s financial commitments, despite the Chukwuma Soludo administration’s decision not to take fresh commercial bank loans since it came into office.

However, Obi refuted the claim and vowed that he would stop campaigning for the 2027 presidency if there is evidence to support the claim by the Soludo government.

In response, the Anambra State Government disputed Obi’s claim that he left office without outstanding debts or unpaid financial obligations, saying state records show that liabilities incurred during his administration or inherited by it remained outstanding.

Reacting in a statement titled “Gov Peter Obi and Record of Public Debt in Anambra: Facts Beyond Propaganda and Lies,” the Commissioner for Information and Value Reorientation, Law Mefor, described Obi’s position on the state’s debt profile as false.

Mefor said eight external loans linked to projects implemented during or inherited by the Obi administration remained outstanding, with a combined balance of $92.35 million, which the government put at ₦127.37 billion as of June 30, 2026.

However, the Obi camp has now shared the former Governor’s handover note to Willie Obiano, who took over the office from him.

The note was shared on Wednesday by the Interim National Coordinator of the Obidient Movement worldwide, Yunusa Tanko.

“Let other Governors from 1999 till date have the courage to publish their handover notes to their successors as Peter Obi has done. Be accountable to the people,” he wrote.

See the details below.

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has called on the Federal Government to introduce immediate wage awards for workers as rising petrol prices continue to increase transportation costs and worsen economic hardship.

NLC President Joe Ajaero made the demand in a statement issued in Abuja on Wednesday, citing the impact of higher petrol prices on workers’ purchasing power and quality of life.

Ajaero said petrol was selling for about N1,430 per litre in major urban centres, with prices higher in less accessible areas, and warned that rising transport fares could trigger further increases in food prices, school fees, rents and tariffs.

Ajaero said the continued increase in petrol prices was significantly affecting workers’ purchasing power and quality of life, particularly as transportation costs continued to rise.

The NLC president attributed part of the latest petrol price increase to the resurgence of conflict in the Gulf but argued that Nigeria should have mechanisms to protect citizens from sudden international energy market shocks.

“As a nation, and as a people endowed with enormous fossil resources, we are deserving of a certain level of protection or buffer against the gales from the Gulf,” he said.

Ajaero urged the Federal Government to immediately introduce reasonable wage awards, make sufficient crude oil available in naira to local refineries and expand the country’s storage capacity.

He said the measures would help cushion the impact of international market shocks, strengthen energy security, create employment opportunities and generate additional economic value.

“These measures will create jobs, economic value as well as deal with mutating security challenges,” he said.

Ajaero also said government intervention through subsidies or palliatives remained justified during emergencies that placed severe economic pressure on citizens.

“There is nothing wrong with government subsidising the needs of citizens, especially in emergency situations like this,” he said.

The NLC president said the intervention was necessary because the government was earning between $35 and $40 above the budgeted crude oil price in the international spot market.

Petrol prices have come under renewed pressure in recent weeks amid higher international crude oil prices and market volatility.

On September 3, Nairametrics reported that Brent crude had risen to $96.98 per barrel as conflict in the Gulf intensified, while petrol prices at filling stations had risen above N1,310 per litre. The development came as oil marketers reviewed their pump prices amid higher international crude prices.
Nairametrics subsequently reported on September 6 that the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) attributed persistent petrol price volatility to factors including crude oil sourcing, domestic refining, logistics and transportation costs.

Earlier, in July, Dangote Refinery had moved from naira-denominated to dollar-based pricing for petrol, fixing its ex-depot price at $0.779 per litre. Nairametrics reported that the change meant the naira equivalent of the refinery’s petrol price would fluctuate with movements in the exchange rate.

Broader cost-of-living pressures have continued to weigh on Nigerian households in recent times.

On August 31, Nairametrics reported that economists said Nigerians could wait between 12 and 20 years to fully feel the benefits of the Federal Government’s economic reforms.

They noted that structural reforms typically involve a period of adjustment before improvements in productivity and real incomes become evident.