Nurses at the State Specialists Hospital in Ikare, Ondo State have shut down medical operations at the facility in protest over their unpaid salaries and entitlements.
The nurses, who are members of the Ondo State chapter of the National Association of Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria, expressed their grievances towards the leadership of the hospital over insensitivity towards their plight in the facility.
They accused the leadership of the State Specialists Hospital in Ikare of refusing to pay their salaries and bonuses since November 2015 till date.
The protesting nurses, who chanted solidarity songs for many hours at the entrance of the hospital, also barred vehicular movement and prevented people from entering the hospital's facility.
Sources among the protestors told a SaharaReporters correspondent that the leadership of the hospital had been malreating medical workers, especially nurses in the facility.
Many of the protesting nurses who spoke also picketed the Accountant General of the government hospital, Dr. Aminu Kamila, and alleged him of absconding with their salaries and bonuses.
They jointly called for Dr. Kamila to be sanctioned and immediately removed from his position by the State government.
"The Account General is a big thief. He is on the run with our salaries and could no longer come to the office because he knew all of us are ready for a showdown with him," a protestor said.
"Since November of last year, they have refused to pay us our salaries and bonuses. Every day it's promise upon promise, but we are tired of their attitude and we feel like it's cheating to not pay us," one of the protestors, Iyabo Adefemi, told SaharaReporters.
Kolawole Ezekiel, chairman of the nurses in the hospital also confirmed to our correspondent that the Accountant General had absconded with the protesting Nurses salaries.
"We have reported him several times to the Director of Nursing Services in the Ministry of Health but it seems like he is above our control. We decided to shut down operations and services today at the hospital facility to show our displeasure towards the leadership," Mr. Ezekiel said.
SaharaReporters contacted Dr. Kamila, over the accusation levelled against him by the protesting nurses but he declined to comment and immediately switched off his mobile line.
Earlier, an aide to the Accountant General had told our correspondent that his boss would not be willing to speak about the protest and directed further inquiry to the State Commissioner of Health.