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Doctors Protest for Abducted Colleague, Demand Immediate Release or Face Strike
The Association of Resident Doctors (ARD) at Ekiti State University Teaching Hospital (EKSUTH) has joined the growing number of medical professionals demanding the release of their abducted colleague, Dr Ganiyat Popoola.
Dr Popoola, an ophthalmologist with the National Eye Center in Kaduna, was kidnapped on December 27, 2023, along with her husband and nephew. Although her husband was freed in March, Dr. Popoola remains in captivity.
During a peaceful protest dubbed the “Freedom Walk,” ARD members made their voices heard. Dr Adeyemi Famous, speaking on behalf of the association, urged both the federal government and the Kaduna State government, alongside security agencies, to intensify their efforts to secure the release of Dr Popoola and other medical professionals held captive across the country.
Dr Adeyemi stressed that the situation has reached a critical point, warning that if Dr Popoola is not released unharmed, the association is prepared to take more drastic action, including an industrial strike.
He pointed out that this is not an isolated incident, as a growing number of doctors—estimated between 10 to 15—have been abducted in recent times.
“Doctors are becoming an endangered species in Nigeria,” he noted, highlighting the alarming threat faced by healthcare professionals in the country.
The doctor-to-patient ratio in Nigeria is already stretched thin, with just one doctor for every 10,000 patients, a stark contrast to the ideal ratio of one doctor per 600 patients.
This shortage of healthcare workers places immense pressure on the few doctors available, leading to burnout.
According to Dr Adeyemi, this unsustainable work environment is a major factor driving doctors to leave Nigeria for better opportunities abroad, along with poor salaries, inadequate hospital facilities, and worsening insecurity.
The safety of medical professionals, he emphasized, is paramount not only for their well-being but for the overall quality of healthcare in Nigeria.
“We cannot afford to lose more doctors, whether to abductions or other forms of violence,” he said.
He reiterated the call for Dr Popoola’s immediate release, urging the Nigerian government and its security agencies to take swift and decisive action.
The Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) and the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) have issued a two-week ultimatum for Dr Popoola’s release, which is set to expire at the end of this week.
Should the government fail to act, the associations are prepared to embark on an indefinite strike, a decision they would rather avoid but feel compelled to make if necessary.
In response to the protest, the Chief Medical Director of Ekiti State Teaching Hospital, Professor Kayode Olabanji, commended the doctors for their peaceful approach.
He expressed deep concern over the rising rates of kidnapping and other security challenges plaguing the country.
Professor Olabanji called on the government to address the root causes of insecurity, not just for the safety of medical professionals but for the benefit of the entire population.
The ongoing abductions of doctors and other healthcare workers have not only heightened concerns within the medical community but also underscored the urgent need for reforms in Nigeria’s healthcare and security systems.
Many fear that if the trend continues, it could lead to a further exodus of skilled professionals, leaving the country’s already fragile healthcare system in even greater jeopardy.
TV anchor Rufai Oseni makes headlines as he speaks on fuel subsidy in Nigeria. He shared that Nigeria can have fuel subsidy without the long queues at filling stations.
“When we were still paying subsidies, there were no long queues. We were subsidising. So you can still have a subsidy regime going on, and there will be no long queues because production was close by. Dangote had it. That’s just it. That argument also falls flat.
“The biggest beneficiaries of subsidy are not Nigerians. They are crony capitalists that have big infrastructure, and they do contracts. They have been the biggest beneficiaries of the subsidy,” he said.
Lagos State Governor, Sanwo-Olu, speaks to those in the electricity sector about the usual blackouts in the state.
He speaks on ways things can change in the state and how electricity can be provided.
“We need to drop corporate egos, abandon long-standing excuses, and confront the harsh realities obstructing progress in the power sector.”
“We, state governments, used to give excuses that everything is centralised, so the Federal Government has unbundled it now. What have we done in a year and a half?” Sanwo-Olu asked.
“We take two steps forward, we go five steps backward,” he said.
Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has declared Thursday, August 20, a work-free day for public servants in the state to mark the Isese Festival.
Speaking on the celebration, he said “Ìṣẹ̀ṣe is not a relic. It is a living expression of our traditions and a celebration of Yoruba spirituality as an important part of Nigeria’s cultural and religious landscape,” he said.
He added “When the drums sound in Lagos on Thursday, they answer drums in Havana, in Salvador, in Port of Spain. Fifty-five million people and counting. Lagos is not observing a local holiday. Lagos is standing at the centre of a global heritage,” Aregbe said.
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