The Nigerian Union of Allied Health Professionals, NUAHP, University College Hospital, UCH, Ibadan chapter, has suspended its indefinite strike following the reinstatement of Dr Adeyinka Ishola as a director, bringing an end to industrial action that disrupted services at the premier tertiary institution.
The union’s chairman, Mr Oladayo Olabampe, confirmed the development in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria in Ibadan on Tuesday, saying the suspension was communicated in a letter signed by the union’s executives and addressed to the Chief Medical Director of the hospital.
“The suspension takes effect from Tuesday, Sept. 22, 2026, following an intervention by the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare,” Olabampe said. “The national secretariat of this union has approved that the ongoing strike action be suspended for two weeks, and the union has directed its members to resume their duties with effect from the same date.”
The resolution followed a meeting between UCH management and NUAHP executive officers, convened by the Technical Assistant to the Minister of Health on Labour Matters. At the meeting, it was established that Dr Ishola had been formally reprimanded following an investigation into the circumstances that earlier led to his removal from office.
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In line with the ministry’s directive, Dr Ishola — who previously served as Director of Pharmaceutical Services — has been reassigned as Director, Dental Services, and will report directly to the Chief Medical Director.
How the Dispute Began
The crisis traces back to the sale of a tricycle donated to the hospital’s Pharmacy Department, an action that triggered Ishola’s removal and a disciplinary process. An internal UCH panel initially recommended his suspension, but a subsequent independent investigation ordered by the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare found him derelict only in failing to formally carry management along before the tricycle was sold. The ministry consequently recommended a reprimand and reinstatement rather than dismissal.
NUAHP declared the indefinite strike at midnight on Wednesday, Sept. 16, 2026, accusing UCH management of failing for several months to implement that recommendation.
Throughout the dispute, Olabampe maintained that the union was not shielding Ishola from accountability but was insisting that due process be respected and the ministry’s directive implemented, given that the ministry is UCH’s supervisory authority.
The strike had begun to bite at critical points in the hospital, disrupting records services and access to patient case notes, including at the Dialysis Centre. Patients and members of the public had appealed for a swift resolution, citing the hospital’s role as a major referral and teaching centre.
With Dr Ishola’s reinstatement confirmed and his redeployment to the Dental Services directorate effected, NUAHP has directed its members to resume full duties across all departments and units, closing the latest chapter of labour tension at UCH.
NAN
