OSOGBO, Federal Republic of Nigeria. Osun state chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), on Sunday accused Governor Rauf Aregbesola of planning to replaced the striking doctors with native doctors.
The state government had on Friday contended that for abandoning their duty posts for six months, the striking doctors have automatically sacked themselves, saying it was invoking civil service rule that says whoever shuns his or her duty post for a certain period is deemed to have resigned.
But the PDP, in a statement issued in Osogbo by its spokesperson, Prince Diran Odeyemi, yesterday said Governor Aregbesola had concluded plan to replace the striking doctors with native medicine doctors, having realised that mere threat and cheap blackmail could work at all times to suppress people’s demands for their rights.
The party said “we have been authoritatively informed that Governor Aregbesola’s intention is to replace sacked medical doctors with native doctors and traditional healers because of his personal believe in tradition he called “Isese”.
According to the statement, “now that all the ill-conceived measures to cow the doctors have failed and the Plan “B” of replacing them with new intakes had been frustrated by the Nigeria Medical Association, NMA, Governor Aregbesola, wants to experiment with the use of native doctors”
It reads in part, “Governor Aregbesola has a rich history of odd actions all in a bid to be “unique”. If a governor could unilaterally change the education system in Osun from the 6-3-3-4 operating across the country to 4-6-3 by recategorising primary and secondary schools in the state to Elementary, Middle and High Schools, then his plans to replace orthodox medical doctors with native doctors in this modern age cannot be dismissed with a wave of hand”.
“It is truly depressing that once shining light among states of the federation could be reduced to the least in every aspect that is noble in the space of five years. Osun in the last WAEC rating was 29th and least in entire South West of Nigeria. In 2010, this same state was 9th in the entire country according to WAEC rating.
“Despite the fact that this and many actions of the present administration left sour taste in the mouth, all stakeholders in the affairs of Osun must not give up. They should rise up against the continued misdemeanor being dressed as governance in Osun state.
Credit: Tribune (Nigeria)
