BY Sola Ogundipe, Ola Ajayi, Racheal Olayiwola & Faith Oyibotie

The five-day warning strike called by the Nigerian Medical Association, NMA, took its toll on healthcare services in public hospitals, yesterday, as patients waited long hours without getting attention from doctors who stayed away from their duty posts.

The strike, which took off on a slow pace in most hospitals in Lagos and Ibadan, later became total.



At Lagos University Teaching Hospital, LUTH, Idi-Araba, only senior medical consultants, nurses, ward aides and other ancillary staff were observed attending to patients in the wards and the accident and emergency unit.

The institution’s outpatient clinics, which were open for the day’s business, were devoid of the usual activities.

A hospital source disclosed that contingency measures were in place to cushion effects of the strike.

At the Federal Medical Centre, Ebute-Metta, attention to patients was later suspended as doctors complied with NMA’s directive.

A similar scenario played out at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, LASUTH, Ikeja, where dozens of patients that had booked appointments were told to go home after waiting for hours without getting attention.

In a reaction to the development, Chairman NMA, LagosState branch, Dr. Francis Faduyile, said: “It is a full blown strike. This is the first strike called by the NMA in the last 10 years.”

At the UniversityCollegeHospital, Ibadan, several patients, except those on emergency, were turned back and forced to seek alternative medical attention.

All Progressives Congress (APC) leaders yesterday met with former Vice President Atiku Abubakar in his Abuja home.

The APC leaders described the over one hour meeting as a continuation of the party’s consultations with past leaders and stakeholders across the nation.

The meeting came on the heels of the defection of 37 members of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the House of Representatives to the APC.

Atiku told reporters shortly after the meeting, that the discussions were very fruitful, stressing that he had always believed in the two party system.

He said he welcomed the formation of the APC, adding that he would meet with his friends and political associates with the view to taking a decision on the next line of action.

The former Vice President described the formation of the APC as healthy for democracy, and would give Nigerians a credible alternative in the 2015 general elections.

Atiku said: “We want to let you know that we had very fruitful discussions and you know I have always believed in a two-party structure.

“So I welcome the formation of APC. We have discussed extensively and I will meet with my political associates and friends.

“Most of us have been friends and political associates for over two decades. I will call my stakeholders across the country. We will take a decision and address the press and let you know our decision.

“I congratulated them (APC leaders) and welcomed them because it will improve competition and governance. It is healthy for our democracy.

“Once you have one very strong party and weak ones, there is no way the opposition can check the government in power.

“If the South Africans faced Apartheid in the past, Nigeria is facing colonialism. The struggle has been long for the enthronement of democracy in our country.

“It is time we realised we have responsibility to our generation and those yet unborn. I think it (APC) will give Nigerians an alternative during elections. So, I told them I will consult with my associates and brief the press later.”

APC Interim National Chairman Chief Bisi Akande, who led the delegation, said the visit was to cement a long standing political relationship with Atiku, spanning more than two decades.

Akande had, in an earlier remark, said the party decided to meet Atiku against the background of the country being rubbished by the leadership at the centre.

“We feel that it is necessary to meet people of like minds to rise up and salvage the country. All of us that met here were comrades in politics.

“We only met today to cement that comradeship and all is well cemented. We are moving together to work for this country,” Akande said.

Former military Head of State Gen. Muhammadu Buhari, said the party leaders would also meet with former President Olusegun Obasanjo.

Buhari said: “We have been visiting others like the G7 governors and we have visited all former Heads of State.

“We intend to visit former President Olusegun Obasanjo when he is available to ask for his understanding and brief him on why we formed the APC.”

The APC leaders who visited Atiku include Asiwaju Bola Tinubu; Borno State Governor Kashim Shettima; Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu and Senate Minority Leader, George Akume.

Others are: Former House of Representatives Speaker Aminu Bello Masari; former Aviation Minister, Femi Fani-Kayode former Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) Chairman Nuhu Ribadu.

Former Borno State Governor, Ali Modu Sheriff, Senator Kabiru Gaya and Senator Suleiman Nazif were also on the delegation

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Ago-Iwoye - Tragedy struck on Wednesday at the Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago-Iwoye, Ogun, when unknown assailants killed a lecturer, just as ASUU called off its five-month old strike.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the victim, Dr Segun Onabanjo, was a senior lecturer at the Department of Sociology.

According to eyewitnesses, the assailants broke into his residence in Odomolasa area of Ilese-Ijebu at about 1a.m. on Wednesday, shot the lecturer and carted away some personal and household items.

NAN learnt that the corpse has since been deposited in an undisclosed mortuary.

When contacted on telephone, the Police Public Relations Officer of Ogun Police Command, DSP Muyiwa Adejobi, confirmed the killing of the lecturer.

Adejobi said the command was on the trail of the killers who escaped through a nearby bush.

“We are already working on some leads; the police engaged the criminals when they arrived at the scene and some were believed to have sustained injuries in the duel.”

“We combed the area and found some blood stains which we hope will help in this case,” he said.

“The police command is seriously investigating this case and the suspects will be brought to justice.”

Adejobi called on medical doctors in the state to alert the command in case they noticed anyone with gunshot wounds in their hospitals.

Meanwhile, lecturers have resumed work at the university in compliance with the directive of the national secretariat of Academic Staff Union of Universities.

Students’ turn-out was still low as some were seen returning to the campus as at the time of filling this report.

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