The Kogi state government says the attack at the Federal Medical Centre (FMC) today Wednesday, July 1, was by relatives of patients abandoned by the staff of the hospital.
LIB had earlier reported that unknown gunmen stormed the health facility, carted away vital documents as well as phones and laptops of staff and patients in the hospital. The gunmen also disrupted a COVID-19 press conference earlier scheduled by the management of the hospital.
In a statement released this afternoon, the state Commissioner for Information and Communications, Kingsley Fanwo, said the attack was by protesting family members of patients in the hospital. His statement reads
“The attention of the Kogi State Government has been drawn to the unfortunate scuffle between the Staff of the Federal Medical Centre, Lokoja and some patients’ relatives at the hospital, this morning.
Preliminary findings revealed that the violence ensued when relations of patients in the medical facility protested against the failure of the management of the hospital to attend to them. Many people in the emergency ward were left unattended to and a mother delivered at the gate of the hospital. That generated a lot of public tension in the state.
Tension started building since yesterday when patients and their relatives learnt of a plan by the medical staff to stage a protest today, seeking protection from COVID-19. We urge the people of the state to remain calm as government will ensure maintenance of law and order.
We also sue for calm and urge medical authorities to remain committed to their medical profession and responsibilities as Government will protect them in order to give them the confidence to deliver. Healthcare management must never be politicized. Also, government will carry out further investigations to ascertain the remote causes of the breach of peace by the protesters and also address their fears.”
Gunmen attacked the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Lokoja, Kogi State, in the early hours of today July 1, carting away computers, laptops, and phones of staff and patients as well as other sensitive materials from the administrative department of the health institution.
According to reports, the men who were said to be over 10 in number, operated for over 30minutes unhindered.
The management of the hospital had scheduled press briefing where they were to demand a COVID-19 screening center in the state and also enumerate the challenges health workers were facing in the state as regards the COVID-19 pandemic.
The management of the health facility and the state government have been at loggerheads over the status of COVID-19 in the state. The state government insists there is no confirmed case of the viral disease in the state but the management of the hospital appears not to agree with them.
On Tuesday, June 30, the state governor, Yahaya Bello, said Nigerians are being made to accept the reality of COVID-19 “by force”. He said the virus was created to “shorten the lifestyle of the people”, while asking residents not to accept what he described as “cut and paste COVID-19
It was a stormy session in the Senate in Tuesday as the Senate joint committee on labour and productivity engaged the Minister of State for Labour, Employment and Productivity, Festus Keyamo, over the recruitment of 774,000 Nigerians under the National Directorate of Employment (NDE).
While the Minister insisted on an open deliberation on the issues raised about the recruitment process in each local government areas of the federation, the lawmakers pushed for a closed-door session.
Keyamo’s insistence led to a shouting match between both sides ending with the lawmakers ordering him to leave the hearing. As journalists followed Keyamo for an interview, the door was shut at them.
Popular Nigerian doctor and Twitter influencer, Dr Olufunmilayo has been called out by a female colleague for allegedly abusing her sexually.
The UK-based Nigerian doctor, @bola_aseyan who accused Olufunmilayo of being a different person from what he presents online, added that she has proof of all he allegedly did to her.
She further revealed that she didn’t press charges earlier because it will make him lose his license as a medical doctor
KazzyTv 