News
Ogun Nurses Body Accuses Judiciary Registrar Of Assaulting Member Over Refusal To Sweep Clinic
The body of Nurses in Ogun state, The Elegant Nurses Forum (ENF), has condemned the alleged victimisation, intimidation and transfer of a nurse attached to the High Court Judiciary Clinic in Ilaro, Ogun State, following a reported dispute over her professional duties.
The forum alleged that the nurse was verbally abused and physically assaulted by the Principal Registrar of the Judiciary Clinic, Mr. Omololu Davies, after she reportedly declined an instruction to sweep the clinic, explaining that the task was outside her professional nursing duties.
In a statement signed by its National Coordinator, Nurse Thomas Abiodun Olamide, the ENF also raised concerns over the subsequent transfer of the affected nurse from Ilaro to Ayetoro, questioning whether the move was a legitimate administrative decision or a punitive measure connected to her complaint.
The group said it was “deeply disturbing that an office which Nigerians look up to as a custodian of justice and the rule of law could be associated with actions that, if established, amount to the intimidation of a worker for speaking up against alleged mistreatment.”
According to the forum, the incident started after Davies allegedly instructed the Registered Nurse/Midwife posted to the Judiciary Clinic to sweep the clinic.
The nurse reportedly declined politely, stating that sweeping was not part of her professional duties.
The ENF alleged that instead of resolving the matter through dialogue and established administrative procedures, the Principal Registrar verbally assaulted and insulted the nurse.
The matter reportedly came to the attention of nursing leaders at the State Hospital, Ilaro, from where the nurse had been posted to the Judiciary Clinic.
A delegation of nursing leaders was subsequently sent to intervene, but the forum alleged that they were also insulted and treated with disrespect by the Principal Registrar before leaving the premises.
The situation allegedly escalated when Davies asked the nurse to leave the clinic, saying he wanted to lock the facility because she had refused to sweep.
The group further alleged that he pushed the nurse aside, called her derogatory names and subsequently locked the clinic.
“A worker should not be physically assaulted, verbally abused, humiliated or threatened simply because she has raised a legitimate concern about her duties,” the group said.
The forum stressed that nurses are professionals and should be treated with dignity and respect.
“Nursing involves clinical care, health assessment, medication administration, health education, patient advocacy, infection prevention and control, documentation, monitoring and other professional responsibilities,” it said.
It acknowledged that nurses could participate in maintaining a safe and hygienic clinical environment but argued that this should not be confused with assigning nurses the routine duties of cleaners.
“The nurse can only supervise the cleaning carried out by cleaners,” the statement added.
The ENF said disputes over a worker’s responsibilities should be resolved by consulting appointment letters, job descriptions, public service rules and professional standards rather than through insults, intimidation or physical confrontation.
The group said it had confirmed that the affected nurse had been transferred from Ilaro to Ayetoro, with the transfer letter forwarded to the State Hospital, Ilaro.
“From the information available to us, there had allegedly been pressure for the nurse to be suspended,” the forum said, adding that after public attention and media reports, the alleged suspension was reportedly not pursued and the nurse was subsequently transferred farther away.
“Administrative transfer must never become a disguised instrument of victimisation,” the group said.
The ENF said the matter raised broader concerns about whether workers in the Ogun State Civil Service could speak about their rights without fear of retaliation.
It cited constitutional provisions protecting workers’ welfare, human dignity, freedom of association and freedom from discrimination.
The forum also raised concerns over the gender dimension of the incident, asking, “Would the same treatment have been meted out to a male worker who politely refused to perform duties outside his professional responsibilities and subsequently complained about alleged abuse?”
It further asked, “Why the sudden aggression by the Principal Registrar? Is sexual harassment not involved?”
The group called for the gender dimension of the matter to be properly examined.
The ENF demanded an independent investigation into the alleged assault, verbal abuse, intimidation and humiliation of the nurse, insisting that the probe “must not be controlled solely by persons or institutions whose actions or decisions are themselves subjects of the complaint.”
It also demanded an explanation from the Ogun State Government on the reason for the nurse’s transfer, immediate protection against further victimisation, and a mechanism through which civil servants can report workplace abuse without fear of retaliation.
The group urged the Nigeria Labour Congress, Trade Union Congress, human rights organisations, women’s rights groups and other workers’ rights advocates to intervene.
The ENF said it is not seeking special treatment for the nurse but “justice, fairness, due process and respect for workers’ rights.”
“We are not demanding that anyone be condemned without investigation. We are demanding that an investigation be conducted without intimidation, interference or bias,” it said.
The forum added, “The rule of law must apply to the powerful and the ordinary worker alike.”
It called for accountability and an impartial resolution of the matter, insisting that the affected nurse should not suffer further disadvantage for raising concerns about her treatment.
“We demand justice. We demand accountability. We demand respect for workers’ rights,” the group said.
Super Falcons head coach Justine Madugu says he is not afraid of losing his job despite mounting pressure following Nigeria’s failure to qualify for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup.
Madugu’s future has come under intense scrutiny after the Super Falcons suffered a 2-1 defeat to South Africa in the decisive CAF play-off in Morocco.
The loss ended Nigeria’s remarkable record of qualifying for every edition of the FIFA Women’s World Cup since the tournament began in 1991.
For the first time since 1991, Nigeria will miss the Women’s World Cup.
The pressure on Madugu intensified after the Super Falcons failed to secure automatic World Cup qualification at the WAFCON.
With calls growing for the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) to make changes to the technical setup, Madugu insists he is prepared to accept whatever decision the football authorities make.
The coach said representing Nigeria has been a privilege and that he has no fear of being relieved of his position.
“I am not afraid of being sacked. To the glory of God, I have served my country. It was a privilege that was given to me,” Madugu said.
He added, “So far, I have played almost 28 games, won 19, lost four and drawn four. But this defeat came at crucial moments that people did not expect.”
Islamic cleric, Sheikh Ahmad Gumi, says it is the responsibility of the government to use public funds to support marriage arrangements in states operating under Shariah law.
In a post on his Facebook page on Thursday, Gumi argued that governments in Shariah-governed societies have a duty to address social needs arising from the prohibition of sexual relationships outside marriage.
The Islamic scholar noted that government intervention to assist people who cannot afford marriage should be viewed as part of responsible governance, especially where prostitution, fornication, adultery and promiscuity are prohibited by both religious principles and state laws.
According to him, public resources could legitimately be used to support young people in urgent need of marriage, as well as women who face limited opportunities to find suitable spouses.
“In a Shariah law-driven state, where prostitution, fornication, adultery, and promiscuity are prohibited by both divine and state laws, using public funds to facilitate the marriage of women who are in excess of the available pool of eligible men, or of any young person in dire need of marriage, is a legitimate and responsible component of good governance,” he wrote.
President Bola Tinubu decried the big task of successfully managing a democratic government, highlighting what he described as
It’s twists, turns, hills and valleys, even as the president assured Nigerians that the nation’s refineries will bounce back.
The President also lamented that the expected benefits from the introduction of Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) are going into the pockets of truck owners.
This came as the President of the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG), Comrade Salimon Akanni Oladiti, pleaded with President Tinubu to help stop the casualisation of workers in the oil industry.
Speaking when he received the NUPENG leadership at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, the President said the union has been a very good partner in government’s progress.
“You occupy a very critical nerve of the economy of this country,” he said.
He recalled the promise he made while seeking the presidency that he would remove the fuel subsidy and the threat by oil and gas workers to down tools. “We had threat of possible strike and something, and I served notice; you may strike all you want, but fuel subsidy will be gone. And today, to the benefit of our great country.”
“I will soon publish how it is being utilized,” he said, adding that workers at local, state and federal levels are reaping the benefits of subsidy removal through prompt payment of salaries, while landmark infrastructural projects are underway across the country.
“Yes, the economy is not child’s play. It’s a system of financial re-engineering and reset that you impress, and I want to thank you for the cooperation, collaboration and understanding.
“But I’m glad you have seen the effect of being able to find funding for long-term projects: Lagos–Ibadan Road, Abuja–Kaduna, Abuja–Kano, Sokoto–Badagry and other highways and road networks. It’s all for the good of our people and our economy.
“Equally, the introduction of compressed natural gas — well, I will appeal to you: we will do more and encourage you, but ask your drivers to let the benefits trickle down to commuters too, because whatever benefit is coming from CNG is going into the pockets of truck owners. It’s not spreading as fast as I would like, but it should spread.
“The refineries you mentioned are going to come back to work. We’re just building a very firm reset and structural reworking of the economics of it. Ordinary flame and smoke from a refinery doesn’t mean that it’s working until it’s profitable and yields the value for which it was built.
“I’m not a man who will look back and blame everyone, because I’ve accepted the assets and liabilities of my predecessors. No matter what happened in the past years, it’s my responsibility now as President to fix it and make it work for the greatest common good of our population. I take responsibility for that, and I’m going to do it.”
He added: “It’s not easy to manage a democratic regime, full of twists and turns, hills and valleys. But through perseverance, endurance and good determination we can bring about relief — like the joy of a newborn baby after a difficult pregnancy. Motherhood is painful, but the joy is everlasting. I promise you, you will enjoy a better Nigeria.”
Speaking earlier, NUPENG president Comrade Oladiti appealed to the President to check the casualisation of workers in the oil industry.
The NUPENG president, who described the trend as unwholesome, expressed concern that efforts to make oil companies, particularly in the upstream sector, stop the practice have been constantly rebuffed.
He said: “Your Excellency, our relationship with the international oil companies and indigenous players in the upstream sector has been very cordial. However, we want to seize this opportunity to bring to your attention an unhealthy trend we have been trying to correct with little to no success. It is the casualisation of workers, particularly in the upstream sector.
“For a sector that is strategic and taken as the economic jugular of the nation, NUPENG and its counterpart PENGASSAN have been tolerating these unwholesome practices, knowing full well the enormous disruption that any industrial action could cause to the economy.
“We also do not want to be seen as hostile to the Minister of Labour, Muhammad Maigari Dingyadi, who has been very supportive and operates an open-door policy in his relationship with our union.
“We have engaged the management of some of the affected companies without results. Mr. President, we urge you to use your good offices to stop the casualisation of workers in our sector.”
While commending the present administration for rehabilitation and dualisation of federal highways — which he noted will ease movement of petroleum trucks — Oladiti also appealed to President Tinubu to see to the resuscitation of the Nigerian Pipelines and Storage Company (NPSC) depots across the country.
He maintained that injecting life into the depots would complement the ongoing efforts to revive the ailing refineries.
He said: “We’ve seen real progress in the rehabilitation of federal highways, making journeys safer for our tanker drivers.
“We also want to commend your administration’s move to revive the Warri and Port Harcourt refineries through partnership with Chinese firms. Your Excellency, we humbly request that the same energy and drive to inject life back into the refineries be extended to the decaying Nigerian Pipelines and Storage Company depots across the country.
“We strongly recommend they be handed over to private investors to manage under an equity arrangement.”
-
Health & Wellness12 months agoPresident Tinubu Directs Cut in Dialysis Cost from ₦50,000 to ₦12,000
-
News1 year agoPICTURE: In Lagos Couple Sentenced to 22½ Years for Cannabis Trafficking
-
Trending News12 months agoNELFUND Disburses ₦86bn To 449,000 Beneficiaries
-
Business5 months agoDangote Refinery Reduces Petrol Gantry Price To ₦1,200 Per Litre
-
Business2 years agoHeritage Bank Customers’ Path to Securing ₦5m Insured Funds: A Step-By-Step Guide by NDIC”
-
International News5 months agoIndian Police Arrest Nigerian Over ₦290m Drug Haul
-
Business5 months agoAfter Plea Bargain, Court Discharges Stella Oduah of ₦2.5bn Fraud
-
Business2 years ago
Dangote; We Did Not Fix ₦600/Litre Petrol Price