UUTH Doctors Begin Indefinite Strike Over EFCC Raid
Medical doctors and other health workers at the University of Uyo Teaching Hospital have commenced an indefinite strike following a raid by operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on Tuesday.
It was gathered that EFCC operatives stormed the hospital premises on Tuesday afternoon in an attempt to arrest a staff member, an action that reportedly triggered resistance from workers and other hospital personnel.
Eyewitnesses alleged that the operatives later called for reinforcement, after which additional personnel arrived and allegedly fired shots into the air to disperse staff members who had gathered at the scene.
Sources further disclosed that the operatives eventually took away the Deputy Chairman of the Medical Advisory Committee, Prof. Effiong Ekpe, alongside three other hospital staff members.
They also claimed that several persons sustained injuries during the incident, while some mobile phones were damaged as staff attempted to record the operation.
Following the development, the Chairman of the Nigerian Medical Association, Dr Aniekan Peters, reportedly directed doctors across the state to immediately withdraw their services, while leaders of the Joint Health Sector Unions also announced a total shutdown of hospital activities in protest.
Confirming the incident, the Public Relations Officer of the NMA, Dr Gabriel Eyo, described the EFCC operation as an attack on the hospital and its workforce.
Eyo condemned the manner in which Prof. Ekpe, a professor of cardiothoracic surgery and reportedly the only specialist in the field in Akwa Ibom State, was treated, insisting that due process should have been followed.
“In the early hours of this morning, masked men wearing EFCC jackets stormed the hospital premises and entered the office of the Deputy Chairman of the Medical Advisory Committee, Prof. Effiong Ekpe. They allegedly assaulted him and dragged him out like a common criminal,” he said.
He further alleged that when staff members, students and other health workers attempted to intervene, the operatives fired sporadically into the air and dispersed the crowd with tear gas.
“Even at the hospital gate, when security personnel tried to prevent them from leaving, the operatives reportedly forced the gate open,” he added.
Eyo stated that although the association was unaware of the allegations against Prof. Ekpe, the process adopted by the anti-graft agency was unacceptable.
“Whatever offence he may have committed, there is a lawful procedure for handling such matters. An invitation could have been sent to him instead of this public humiliation,” he said.
He added that the professor was reportedly preparing for surgery before being taken away, describing the experience as traumatic and demoralising for both the medical team and patients.
According to him, several individuals, including asthmatic persons, suffered reactions from the tear gas released during the incident.
“The NMA has already held an emergency meeting and the indefinite strike has commenced. Further resolutions will be communicated soon,” he added.
Reacting to the incident, the Commissioner of Police in Akwa Ibom State, Baba Azare, said police officers accompanied EFCC officials to the hospital based on a court directive connected to an ongoing case.
Azare explained that before officers entered the premises, he had informed the hospital’s Chief Medical Director, Prof. Emem Bassey, about the operation and advised that access be granted to the officials.
“The EFCC went to the hospital for an arrest, and the CMD contacted me to verify whether the men involved were genuine officers,” he said.
“I deployed a CSP to confirm their identity, and it was established that they were indeed EFCC operatives acting on a court instruction to produce the individual involved in an ongoing matter before the court.”
He maintained that the police did not invade the hospital but only verified the legitimacy of the operation after being contacted by the hospital management.