Medical doctor interns with the 68 Nigerian Army Reference Hospital, Yaba, Lagos, were evicted from their apartments after embarking on indefinite strike over the non-payment of their eight months salaries.
The doctors, who are interns with ministry of defence hospitals, on September 11, 2014 stormed the premises of Channels TV in Lagos to protest the non payment of their wages for eight whole months by authorities of the ministry.
The doctors numbering about 50 said they approached the authorities of the ministry regarding their unpaid wages and they were told that their wages was not captured in this year’s budget among other excuses given to them.
On Friday, September 12, soldiers raided their quarters and evicted them. According to reports, some of the interns were not allowed to take out their belongings.
One of the interns, Dr. Jinadu while speaking to Punch said that they had been ill-treated by the various military commands in the country and had no option than to embark on a strike.
He said, “All of us who are serving with the 68 Nigerian Army Reference Hospital, Yaba, have been chased out of our apartments. They gave us short notice and we could not even pack our belongings before the doors were locked. Some of us were having our rest when the soldiers opened our doors and chased us out.
“Some of us are not staying in Lagos and we do not have where to stay. Where should we go to? Because we decided to ask for our salaries, they decided to chase us out. We had no grouse with the hospital or with the management, we are not happy that we are not at work. But for how long will it be that we have been working for eight months and we are not being paid?
“These are the issues, we are illegally evicted. The soldiers that came to evict us said they were directed to do so by the Director of the 68 Nigerian Army Reference Hospital, Major General Nkado. They have sealed our property inside. They even nearly burgled us out by force; they said our services are no longer needed after eight months of working. It was the ministry of defence that posted us here. We are 55 in this place.
“But we believe they do not have the right to disengage us from service. We want to finish our internship but we also want to be paid. We are suffering a lot. We are not settled here. The patients in the hospital want us to come back.”
Meanwhile, efforts to reach Maj.Gen. Nkado through a phone call for his comment was futile. He only responded through a text message that he could not talk then and that a text should be sent to him.
However, he did not comment on the issue as of the time press.
