Strike: Makinde meets LAUTECH Teaching Hospital workers, addresses demands, approves Ogbomosho inner roads

Strike: Makinde meets LAUTECH Teaching Hospital workers, addresses demands, approves Ogbomosho inner roads

 By

Olawale Ogunbusola

Oyo State Governor, ‘Seyi Makinde,  has stated that his administration will continue to serve the people of the state and cater to the welfare of workers across different sectors.

The governor made this declaration in Ogbomoso, on Tuesday, while meeting with professional bodies at the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology Teaching Hospital, Ogbomoso, over the ongoing industrial action by the bodies.

The governor, who later visited the Soun of Ogbomoso in his palace, assured the monarch and his people of  his administration's readiness to commence the reconstruction of inner roads in the town.

Governor Makinde, after listening to the demands of representatives of different bodies at the teaching hospital, announced immediate measures aimed at addressing the situation, including the plan to immediately constitute a Governing Council for the hospital, approval of a monthly stipend of ₦80,000 for 65 non-staff security personnel working at the hospital while instructing that they should be integrated into the hospital's system as adhoc staff.

The governor also announced an increase in the monthly subvention to the hospital by N35m to ease operational challenges.

Other measures announced by the governor included the approval of the payment of accumulated promotion arrears totaling ₦219 million, which is to be disbursed in three equal installments in October, November, and December 2025, and a promise to offset the arrears of the new minimum wage, covering the period from January to August 2025, in three tranches, also payable from October to December 2025.

The governor equally highlighted steps that the government would take to bring about long-term resolutions of the crisis and bring lasting solutions to the institution’s challenges, adding that the LAUTECH Teaching Hospital Annex in Oyo would be completed before the end of his administration in 2027.

He stated that some demands involving the review of salary structures would be addressed by the Governing Council of the hospital once it is put in place, adding that the demands raised by students of Nursing would also be addressed.

He said: "This engagement is in fulfillment of what I told you when I was going round asking for your support, which you gave to me and I thank you for that. You have done your part and we are doing ours. You don't have to beg us before we do what you want.

"Some of the challenges that you raised have been noted. They are things I thought had been solved but they have not. That is the nature of challenges; when you are faced with challenges, if you solve the problem, it will go away, and if it is not solved, it will come back, and you have to take another go at it.

"There are major things recurring and one of them is the issue of the Governing Council for LAUTECH Teaching Hospital. I want to assure you that before the end of this week, you will have a Governing Council. They will be here all the time and we will also give them a mandate, and a timeframe within which to achieve those things.

“We will give the new Governing Council a list of things that we want them to accomplish within a period of time. And, for us, we will support them. You should also support them.”

Governor Makinde maintained that the industrial action and most of the demands by the professional bodies centred on the issue of welfare and that his administration would never shy away from putting in place sustainable efforts towards addressing the issue of welfare.

He noted, however, that workers must also recognise the paramount need to develop the infrastructure of the state and ensure that it is liveable for residents and the coming generations, hence the need for those in government to manage resources with a view to ensuring a balance in the discharge of their responsibilities.

"I want to call your attention to something very important. This is extremely important. It is not only here at LAUTECH Teaching Hospital; it is something that Nigeria, as a country, is still struggling with. Yes, welfare, looking after your people, that is the work of your government. You put people in government so that they can look after you; so that they can ensure that people's welfare is well taken care of.

“But the government must be able to manage your resources in such a way that you are not seeing just your generation; that you are not seeing just the next election, but you can see to the welfare of the next generation."

The governor added, "As an administration, we have dared to be different. We know that we have to stimulate economic activities such that a lot of people, by just having infrastructure in place, can take themselves out of poverty. We have limited resources as a government, but we have been developing our infrastructure.

"As an administration, we will look at those requests and some of them will be addressed here. But, when you are mining your data, kindly note that liveability is a big issue for me. Let us look at what we can do, but having a livable environment, an environment where you can feel safe and secure, is also an indispensable function that the government must perform. As an administration, we have been looking at almost all sides.”

In her reaction, the Commissioner for Health, Dr Oluwaserimi Ajetunmobi, said Governor Makinde’s desire to ensure that all residents stay healthy was behind his decision to visit LAUTECH Teaching Hospital to address the challenges facing the institution.

She noted that the governor, in line with his focus on healthcare delivery, would leave no stone unturned towards addressing the agitations of the workers and students of the hospital.

In his speech, the Acting Chief Medical Director of the hospital, Professor Olawale Olakulehin, expressed gratitude to the governor for his visit and for increasing subvention to the hospital, describing him as a listening governor and an embodiment of kindness, compassion and love for the institution.

In their separate remarks, representatives of professional bodies and students such as the Joint Health Sector Union, JOHESU; Nurses and Midwives; Nursing and Medical students, appreciated Governor Makinde’s efforts over the institution.

They, however, made appeals to the governor to improve welfare, improve infrastructure in the hospital and also address other demands.

Governor Makinde, who was later at the palace of the Soun of Ogbomoso, announced that his administration would soon embark on the reconstruction of inner roads of the town.

The governor, who read out a list of roads that cut across the local government areas in the town, said two contractors would handle the reconstruction to ensure speedy completion.

Earlier the Soun of Ogbomoso, Oba Ghandi Afolabi Olaoye, had lauded the governor for his administrative style, saying he has done so many things to move the state forward and has made governance look easy.

Oba Olaoye appreciated the governor on the planned commencement of the rehabilitation of Ogbomoso inner roads, his intervention in the LAUTECH Teaching Hospital crisis and for confirming him as the Soun of Ogbomoso.

The Soun, who congratulated the governor on the coronation of the new Olubadan, said: “You have the distinct opportunity to have installed and coronated the Soun of Ogbomoso, the Olubadan of Ibadan and the Alaafin of Oyo, among many other Obas. It is a very unusual thing to have that opportunity. But when we look at your reign, we find out that you have been the governor with many landmarks. The question is which landmark are we going to talk about? There are so many landmarks that have happened during your tenure.

“We believe that many more will still happen during your tenure. And the people in the land are happy with you, which is very obvious.

“You have done many things to move this state forward, not only through the IGR, but through a whole lot of things to be the first in many things.”

On the governor's entourage were Senator Monsurat Sunmonu, former Speaker of Oyo State House of Assembly; Commissioner for Local Government Affairs and Chieftaincy Matters, Chief Ademola Ojo; Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development, Barr Olasunkami Olaleye; Commissioner for Public Works and Transport, Hon Mojeed Mogbonjubola; Senior Executive Assistant to the Governor on General Duties, Chief Bayo Lawal; Chairman of LAUTECH Governing Council, Professor Wale Omole; and Chairman, Oyo State Local Government Service Commission, Hon. Akinwale Akinwole, among others.