The Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Polytechnics, SSANIP,
Abia State Polytechnic,Aba, chapter has rejected the transfer of its members to some hospitals across the State.
The affected workers were serving at the Polytechnic’s Medical centre before they were transferred to some hospitals by the State Hospital Management Board,
HMB, Umuahia.
Three months
ago, the state government had also directed all medical staff of the Polytechnic to resume work at the Abia State University Teaching Hospital,
ABSUTH, Aba.
Briefing the newsmen
in Aba, Chairman , Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Polytechnics, SSANIP, AbiaPoly, Comrade Nwachukwu Chuks, who disclosed that the affected staff include a medical doctor, 8 nurses and two health attendants, explained that their redeployment to hospitals contravened the law establishing
the Polytechnic and
the condition of service of the staff.
He stated that the Abia State Polytechnic Edict No. 8 of 1994 empowers
the institution to
employ and manage its staff as well as the setting up of a medical centre that
is headed by a medical director and wondered where the State Hospital Management Board derived its powers to transfer the staff of
the Polytechnic to
hospitals.
He said, “Why
must the Hospital Management Board withdraw staff they
didn’t employ? As a union, we are asking if the Hospital Management Board is in charge
of redeploying
staff of the Abia State Polytechnic. This is against known
labour laws and
staff condition of service of the Polytechnic. It is also against Edict No.8 of 1994 setting up the Polytechnic.
"As senior staff, the affected workers enjoy a special salary
scale. So, if the
transfer is allowed to stand, the staff will be dislocated
and will also suffer
huge salary loss. Should transfer be punitive? Why should
Abia Poly always be a guinea pig for experiment? The transfer is unlawful. We wont allow it to stand. Every day, workers of the
Polytechnic now live in fear because of the way things are
being done at the institution.”
The SSANIP Chairman alleged that another medical doctor has been
employed to head the
medical centre of the Polytechnic while two of the transferred nurses have been secretly returned.
He dismissed reports that the medical centre had a bloated
staff strength."The Union does not recruit, it is the management who recruits. Sometimes, they do so without looking at the needs of the Polytechnic. What we are asking is they should follow due process in what
ever they are doing. When workers are employed , it is our
duty to protect their interest."
When contacted, Public Relations Officer of the Polytechnic, Mrs
Chinyere Eze, said
she is not aware of the development and asked Vanguard to get back to the SSANIP chairman since he briefed the media without consulting her.
By
#Onyekachi Lawrence Ndukwe
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