Delta doctors begin two-day warning strike over abducted colleague

TRACKING___Medical doctors in Delta State have begun a two-day warning strike in protest of their abducted colleague, Dr. Wisdom Iboyitete, a Principal Medical Officer at the General Hospital, Ojobo, in Burutu council area of the state.

In a statement made available to newsmen, the state chapter of the National Association of Government General Medical and Dental Practitioners (NAGGMDP), further threatened to embark on an indefinite strike if by Thursday, the victim is not released.

The warning strike which took effect from Tuesday morning, June 2, is to be carried out by members of the association under Ughelli and Bomadi Medical Zones of the state.

The two-day warning strike was declared Monday night, at the end of an emergency meeting by the body.

The statement which was signed by the state chairman, Dr. Ebikagboro Olayinka and secretary, Dr. Ikechukwu Okoh, called for the unconditional release of Dr. Iboyitete.

Iboyitete was kidnapped by gunmen who pretended to be patients around midnight Sunday. He was reportedly whisked to an unknown location through the creeks in the Ijaw riverine community.

The statement read, “Dr. Wisdom Iboyitete, a Principal Medical Officer at General Hospital, Ojobo was abducted in the hospital premises by unknown gunmen pretending to be patients on 01/06/2020 at 00:01 WAT.

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“The Association had an Emergency Meeting today 01/06/2020 and noted that efforts made in the release of our member from the kidnappers’ den are suboptimal and call on the Delta State Government and security agencies to increase the tempo in locating and rescuing our member unscathed and unharmed.

“Consequently, the Association resolved as follows: All our members under Ughelli and Bomadi Medical Zones are to embark on a warning strike from 08:00 WAT tomorrow Tuesday 02/06/2020.

“All members of the association in the state to commence indefinite strike action from 08:00 WAT on Thursday 04/06/2020 until he is released.

“There shall be a peaceful protest walk on Thursday 04/06/2020. This protest walk will commence from the Delta State NMA Secretariat (opposite the Cenotaph, Asaba) to the Government House and then to the Office of the Commissioner of Police in Asaba.

“To hold a Press Conference demanding his unconditional release and also highlighting the plight of doctors who are soft targets of Kidnappers in Delta State.
We demand the unconditional release of our member, Dr. Wisdom Iboyitete”.