Pregnant Women, Students Protest Gov. Akeredolu's Anti-People Policies
WITHIN the space of four days, two separate protests rocked Ondo State and shook it to its foundation. Pregnant women and students took to the streets of Akure during the week, to protest against what they termed 'anti-people policies.'
In fact, security agencies in the state had a hectic time trying to rise up to the occasion.
Pregnant women's antenatal protest
The first set of people who expressed their displeasure over the state government's decision to hike fees for antenatal were pregnant women.
In a rare public show, the women displayed their protruding stomachs to express their anger.
The governor, Mr. Rotimi Akeredolu, who was in Abuja to attend a meeting of the All Progressives Congress, APC, and got wind of the protest, dispatched his Health Commissioner, Mr. Wahab Adegbenro to placate the protesting pregnant women.
The state was grounded for almost four hours as activities at the state specialist hospital antenatal clinic .
We learned that the protest by the pregnant women hit the governor so hard that he reportedly vowed that those behind the "unauthorised" 300 per cent increase in medical fees as against what was in operation under the immediate past government, which was free would be dealt with.
Dependable government sources hinted that a high powered panel would soon be set up to probe the collection of unauthorised fees and bills in government hospitals from pregnant women by officials of the Hospital Management Board, HMB and heads may eventually roll if they are found culpable.
Reliable sources within the hospital said that government would be economical with the truth if it is now washing its hands off the matter as the management of the hospital were told in plain language to source for money to run the hospital.
The source, who pleaded anonymity, said: "How do they want us to run the hospitals? Is it with our own salaries or our blood?"
A dependable source told us
that some influential personalities in the state have asked the governor to tread softly as the happenings in the state in recent times, were not only worrisome but could have been avoided if government had consulted widely before reeling out perceived "anti- people policies."
In fact, security agencies in the state had a hectic time trying to rise up to the occasion.
Pregnant women's antenatal protest
The first set of people who expressed their displeasure over the state government's decision to hike fees for antenatal were pregnant women.
In a rare public show, the women displayed their protruding stomachs to express their anger.
The governor, Mr. Rotimi Akeredolu, who was in Abuja to attend a meeting of the All Progressives Congress, APC, and got wind of the protest, dispatched his Health Commissioner, Mr. Wahab Adegbenro to placate the protesting pregnant women.
The state was grounded for almost four hours as activities at the state specialist hospital antenatal clinic .
We learned that the protest by the pregnant women hit the governor so hard that he reportedly vowed that those behind the "unauthorised" 300 per cent increase in medical fees as against what was in operation under the immediate past government, which was free would be dealt with.
Dependable government sources hinted that a high powered panel would soon be set up to probe the collection of unauthorised fees and bills in government hospitals from pregnant women by officials of the Hospital Management Board, HMB and heads may eventually roll if they are found culpable.
Reliable sources within the hospital said that government would be economical with the truth if it is now washing its hands off the matter as the management of the hospital were told in plain language to source for money to run the hospital.
The source, who pleaded anonymity, said: "How do they want us to run the hospitals? Is it with our own salaries or our blood?"
A dependable source told us
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