Police foil mayhem at Edo hospital
Police in Benin-City, the Edo State capital, foiled what would have resulted to mayhem at the premises of Federal Neuro-Psychiatric hospital, Uselu in Benin when members of Coalition of Civil society organisation and youths engaged themselves in fisticuffs.
Members of the group were said to have defied the directive of anti-riot Policemen attached the hospital to forestall breakdown of law and order, prompting youths from the host Community (Uselu) to engage the protesters in a brawl.
The , however, overpowered the protesters who threw away their banners and took to their heels, thereby heightening tension among patients and staff of the hospital.
President of the Network of Civil society organisations (NOCSON), Abraham Oviawe, had formally notified the management of the hospital to within 48 hours reinstate the sacked hospital staff.
It was learnt that the interdiction in line with the Civil service rules and sack of some staff of the hospital, including two Consultants by the Federal Ministry of Health, has pitted the members of Civil society groups and Management of the hospital against themselves.
Spokesman of the Federal Neuro-Psychiatric Hospital, Efe Stewart, described the protesters are ‘uncivilised group paid to do the bidding of their sponsors’.
He accused the group of jumping the gun by resorting to self-help and forcefully reinstated their sponsors who had been dismissed by the hospital since November 2014.
His words, “There is a disconnect along the line, members of the Civil society are ill-informed about what is happening at the hospital. They were out to blackmail the hospital.
“This protesters had approached the Management of this hospital, time without number to give them money and the Management made them to understand that they do not have money to share for them”, he said.
He said Dr. Osasu Olotu has been re-appointed by the Federal Ministry of Health as the Acting Medical Director of the hospital, following the expiration of his tenure on March 19th 2016.
Reacting to the development, Secretary of NOCSON, Comrade Kola Edokpayi, said two of their members were arrested during the violent protest.
According to Edokpayi, “As we speak, two of our members have been arrested at Okhoro Police station and the Divisional Police officer there said the State Commissioner of Police is interested on the matter.
“We were at Medical juncture when some thugs when some suspected thugs attacked us”, he said.The Spokesman of Edo state Command, DSP, Okafor Theodore, said he was yet to be brief on the case.
