FETHI crisis degenerates as Oba’s palace attacked

The leadership crisis at Ido Ekiti Federal Teaching Hospital (FETHI), has taken a new turn as the protesters calling for the removal of the Chief Medical Director (CMD), Dr. Lawrence Majekodunmi Ayodele has allegedly vadalised properties at the palace of Olojudo of Ido Ekiti, Oba Ayorinde Ilori-Faboro.

The Olojudo, who held a meeting with indigenes of the community on Wednesday in his palace, expressed anger on the attack on his palace by the protesting workers, and advised the workers not to allow criminal elements to hijack their protests to cause chaos in the town which he described as a peaceful community that had opened its doors to non-indigenes.

The traditional ruler who said the attack on his palace was carried out on Monday, April 25, during a violent protest by FETHI workers who are protesting the death of Dr. Tunde Aladesanmi and Dr. Alex Akinyele, expressed regret that the protesting FETHI staff also hijacked the highway and held up traffic for several hours during the protest, a situation which, according to him, paralyzed social and commercial activities.

After the meeting at the palace, some Ido indigenes carrying placards marched from the palace to FETHI gate where community leaders appealed to the hospital workers to embrace peace, with placards which read: “Enough is Enough To All Damages To Our Palace in Ido”, “FETHI Workers, Return To Your Job”, “Don’t Turn Ido Ekiti To Battle Ground”, “All We Demand In Ido Ekiti Is Peace and Nothing More”, among others.

The meeting held by the first class royal father with his subjects was consequent upon another protest staged by unions on Tuesday against the CMD over his comments that the two doctors from the hospital, who were among those who died in an auto crash on their way to the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) Annual General Meeting, travelled without approval.

The traditional ruler, however, contended there is a laid down procedure for the workers to channel their grievances if the CMD commits any known offence rather than shutting down the town for a whole day.

Oba Ilori-Faboro added: “I and other traditional rulers like the Ologotun of Ogotun, the Alara of Aramoko, the Owa Ajero of Ijero came to address the workers that they should not do anything that will destroy this hospital.

“In fact, they (FETHI workers) shunned another peace meeting that was scheduled for Tuesday, they didn’t show up. But our appeal to them is that we don’t want any breakdown of law and order in Ido and they should allow peace to reign and go back to work in the interest of patients.”