Again, interns from the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital, UCTH , have defied the advice of the Nigerian Police Force, DSS by staging a protest in Calabar to demand their unpaid 11 months salaries amounting to 480million naira from management NEGROIDHAVEN can report authoritatively.
The interns who protested on major streets of Calabar from the hospital, to Etta Agbor and Governor’s office peacefully, chanted solidarity songs and carrying placards with various inscriptions as “pay UCTH interns now” don’t harass us, Pay us now” 11 months without interns salary” amongst others.
Speaking with journalists during the protest,one of the protesters , Gideon Duba, explained that the UCTH is owing them for eleven months and whenever they try engaging the management for their payments the management keep saying it is a national issue.
Gideon claim that the UCTH has severely used the police to intimidate them, and that their Salaries amount to about 480 million naira. He called on the federal government, EFCC, minister of health to help resolve the none payment of Salaries.
His words : ”We keep on engaging the management, but they say we are disturbing, we have worked and asked for our salary but they say we are disturbing that we are causing security threats.
“A memo was released on the 2nd of August, placing us on a one month suspension, to allow for the resolving of the issue. Up until now, nothing has been done.
“They said we should write an apology letter, we have done so, yet no solution. The management is not sincere in this whole thing.
“We are 352 ,we are owed over 480 Million naira and when you open up, they will call the security agency to come after you. We are being enslaved, we call on the federal government, the EFCC, Minister of health, to please look into this issue.” He said.
Another intern, Miss Nmuoeke Maurine said the reason their protest was because of our 11 months Salaries and over two months suspension that don’t they don’t even know when it would be called off.
“We have not done anything to the management to attract this unfair treatment, none of us has received up to a month salary for the past 11 months.
“I guess the money should be available because other medical institutions are being paid. Our demand is that they should pay us our complete salary. We did not commit any crime asking for our money, let them lift the suspension. We have worked for our money.” She said.
While Shadrach Atheodor also told Vanguard that he was amongst those invited by DSS not to carry out the peaceful protest .
“We are not here to fight or make problem, our emphasis Is that we should be paid. I was invited to the DSS Office yesterday, they told us not to do any peaceful protest, the DSS has tried their best but if the management did the needful, we won’t be gathered here today.
“We have written several memos to the CMD but he has not acknowledged any of the memos, he has refused to respond. We are crying for our Salaries,” he said.
