FMC Owo workers threatens to down tool over colleagues kidnap
By; Odeyemi Samuel, Akure.
Workers of the Federal Medical Center, Owo, Ondo State are calling for the immediate release of their colleague, Pharmacist Queen Adeyeye by her abductors or they would down tool indefinitely as a protest.
The workers under the aegis of Joint Union of Health Workers of Nigeria on issued a 24 hours ultimatum to the Federal and Ondo State Governments to ensure the release of the victim, failure of which will lead to an industrial action.
Pharmacist Adeyeye was kidnapped on Saturday morning by unknown gunmen at her Ishelu Quarters residence in Owo and since then her whereabouts was unknown.
Armed with placards with various inscriptions such as ‘Say no to kidnapping’, ‘ Save health workers’, ‘ Bring back our staff’’, ‘We demand the release of Adeyeye’ among others, the workers took to the streets of Owo, chanting different solidarity songs to registered their protest.
Addressing journalists during the protest, the Chairman of the FMC Owo Branch of Joint Health Sectors Workers Unions, Comrade Omoniyi Joseph said the kidnap of Adeyeye was unacceptable to the members of staff of the hospital.
He said it was unfortunate that the security agencies in the state had not had any clue about the whereabouts of the female Pharmacist five days after she was kidnapped.
Joseph threatened that if by today (Thursday) their colleague is not released, all the workers of the FMC would begin an indefinite strike.
“As far as we are concerned nothing has been done to secure the release of our colleague from the kidnapper’s den by the government and the security agents.
“If in the next 24hours, our colleague is not released, we will withdraw our services and it is going to be indefinite. We are now calling on the Ondo State Government and the security agents to make sure Pharmacist Adeyeye is freed.”
Meanwhile, the state Police Public Relations Officer, Mr Femi Joseph said the command was still on top of the situation, expressing hope that the Police would secure the release of the Pharmacist very soon.
