PATRICK ABANG, Calabar –
Despite the advice of the Nigerian Police, over 352 interns from University of Calabar Teaching hospital, (UCTH) have staged a peaceful protest in Calabar on Monday demanding for their, 11 months Salaries from the management.
The interns protested on the streets of Calabar peacefully, chanting 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”
Interacting with newsmen during the protest, Gideon Duba, explained that the UCTH is owing them for eleven months and whenever they try engaging the management for their payment, they keep saying it is a national issue.
Gideon alleged that the UCTH has severely used the police to intimidate them, and that their salaries amount to about 480 million naira.
“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 in number. 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.
He called on the federal government, EfCC, minister of health to help resolve the non payment of salaries.
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