Unpaid salaries: Doctors, law officers begin indefinite strike in Ondo

Lawyers in the Ondo State Ministry of Justice and the association of medical doctors, yesterday closed shop as trooped to the street to protest months of unpaid salaries as they called out their members for an indefinite strike.

Particularly, law officers in the state’s Ministry of Justice under the aegis of Law Officers Association of Nigeria (LOAN) declared indefinite strike over what they described as despicable and deplorable conditions under which its members were subjected to. LOAN in a statement signed by its Chairman, Babatunde Victor Falodun and the Secretary, Wale Banisile and addressed to Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu said the workto- rule strike action would persist until their demands were met.

It said administration of justice in Ondo State had suffered untold hardship due to constraints of funds and abysmal condition of service, insisting legal poverty must end in the state as the state counsel were the least paid in the country. LOAN also expressed anger on how their N187 State Counsel Allowance was abruptly stopped, insisting on upward review of same to reflect current reality, end to commercial motorcycling to courts as well as release of funds approved for outfit/Robe allowance since March 2020.

When contacted on the action of the legal officers, Commissioner for Justice and Attorney-General, Kolawole Olawoye, simply described it as embarrassing, saying members of LOAN did not issue him or the state government any strike notice. He said: “I am not aware of this issue. I was not given any notice of the strike action. “I am in Ibadan and was just told that LOAN officers went on demonstration.

They did not give me any notice. I am surprised. I was supposed to be carried along either I agreed with them or I did not agree with them. Professional ethics demand they confide in me. “I am embarrassed and I am sure the government will be embarrassed. When I get back we will take it from there. The government will feel they are having my support.

They are not having my support.” Also, the doctors under the auspices of National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD), University of Medical Sciences Teaching Hospital (UNIMEDTH) chapter, Ondo State, during an emergency meeting in Akure, the state capital frowned at the continued silence of government on their demands.

According to the aggrieved doctors, the industrial action became imperative following expiration of a 7-day warning strike embarked upon last week. During the warning strike, the doctors’ spokesperson, Dr. Taiwo Olaigbe stated that they would withdraw their services from hospital wards should their demands were ignored.

Olaigbe, who said the state health system was on the brink of collapse, insisted that they would not return to work until their unpaid salaries were paid.