The Trade Union Congress (TUC) and the Joint Health Sector Unions (JOHESU) have said that Dr. Olugbenga Owoeye, the acting Medical Director of the Federal Neuro-Psychiatric Hospital, Yaba, is not to blame for the delay in paying salaries to newly hired doctors.
They made this statement in response to complaints from the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) and the Medical and Dental Consultants Association of Nigeria, who said the new doctors have not been paid.
In a joint statement signed by Comrade Adegoke Monsuru for TUC Chairman Comrade Ekundayo Olugbenga, the unions explained that the hospital does not control the payment of salaries.
They said salary payments are handled by the Office of the Accountant-General through a system called the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS).
The unions said the IPPIS process for the new staff was only finished in May 2025. Since then, Dr. Owoeye has been working hard to get them paid. He even visited the IPPIS office in Abuja last week to speed things up. Because of this, the doctors are expected to be paid by July, along with their July salary.
They said blaming Dr. Owoeye for the delays is wrong and unfair. They believe these claims are meant to mislead the public and damage his reputation.
The unions said Dr. Owoeye is committed to taking care of staff and improving the hospital. They said his recent efforts show he is actively working to solve the payment issue.
They added that it is wrong to turn these issues into political fights or to blame the hospital for something it is not in charge of.
The unions called on everyone involved to focus on improving hospital services and to avoid actions that could disturb the peace and progress at the hospital.
They said the hospital belongs to all healthcare workers and no one group should control who leads it. They urged the Federal Ministry of Health and the Presidency to ignore politically motivated complaints and support the hospital’s ongoing improvements.
The unions also said healthcare workers need to work together as a team to give patients the best care and keep the hospital stable.
Earlier, the NMA’s Lagos branch said during a press conference that some new doctors had been working for six months without getting paid.
Dr. Babajide Saheed, Chairman of the Lagos NMA, said this problem is like what happened in 2024, when doctors were also unpaid for four months until the association stepped in.
There has also been tension between the NMA and TUC over the reappointment of Dr. Owoeye as acting Medical Director after he completed a four-year term.
After his reappointment was announced, the NMA demanded that the decision be reversed.
In response, the Lagos TUC said the NMA was running a “smear campaign” to damage Dr. Owoeye’s image.
At a press conference, the TUC said the NMA’s claims about problems in the hospital were false and meant to stop the progress being made under Dr. Owoeye’s leadership.
TUC Chairman Gbenga Ekundayo said the NMA’s complaints were part of a well-funded attack by people who are unhappy with fairness, professionalism, and positive changes happening at the hospital.
