Health workers at the University College Hospital, Ibadan, have commenced an indefinite strike over the refusal of the hospital management to implement a recommendation by the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare concerning the disciplinary case involving the Director of Pharmaceutical Services, Dr Adeyinka Ishola.
The Nigerian Union of Allied Health Professionals, UCH chapter, announced the industrial action in a letter to its members, stating that the strike began on Wednesday, September 16, 2026, after several attempts to resolve the dispute through dialogue failed.
The dispute centres on the sale of a tricycle donated to the hospital’s Pharmacy Department and the disciplinary action subsequently taken against Ishola. The union is demanding that the hospital implement the ministry’s recommendation that the director be reprimanded and reinstated.
NUAHP Chairman, Oladayo Olabampe, said an initial investigation by the hospital had recommended disciplinary action against Ishola, with the matter subsequently referred to the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare.
According to Olabampe, the ministry later constituted an independent investigative team which reached a different conclusion from the hospital’s initial panel. He said the ministry’s panel found Ishola not guilty of fraud but faulted him for failing to properly involve the hospital management in the sale of the tricycle.
“The ministry, in its wisdom, sent a team of investigators to UCH to conduct an independent investigation. The panel found Dr Ishola not guilty of any fraudulent act but only guilty of not carrying the management along in the sale of the tricycle,” Olabampe said.
He added that instead of approving the hospital’s recommended punishment, the ministry directed that Ishola be reprimanded and reinstated. The union, however, accused UCH management of refusing to implement the directive despite the ministry’s supervisory role.
Olabampe said the union disagreed with the hospital management’s position that the ministry’s recommendation was not final. He maintained that the union considered the matter settled by the outcome of the ministry’s investigation.
Defending Ishola, the union chairman also rejected the suggestion that the sale of the tricycle amounted to fraud. He said the union believed the matter amounted to an administrative error because the director allegedly failed to obtain the necessary approval before disposing of the item.
“We hereby declare that Dr Adeyinka Ishola is not a thief, though he might have committed an administrative error by not carrying the management along. Since the ministry has decided that he be reprimanded, we stand by this decision,” Olabampe said.
Ishola was removed from office more than a year ago following allegations that he sold the tricycle without the knowledge of UCH management. The tricycle was reportedly donated by a pharmaceutical company to the Pharmacy Department.
Ishola was said to have told an investigative panel that the tricycle was initially given to him as a personal gift by the pharmaceutical company before he handed it over to the Pharmacy Department. He reportedly asked the panel to seek clarification from the donor on the circumstances surrounding the donation.
He also reportedly explained that he decided to sell the tricycle after concerns about the availability of spare parts and the cost of maintaining it. According to his account, the vehicle was a specially fabricated model rather than the conventional type commonly used for commercial transportation.
Ishola reportedly said the N1.3m realised from the sale was used to meet various needs within the department, including replacing trolley tyres and laptop batteries and providing office chairs. He maintained that the proceeds were properly accounted for and that supporting documents were presented to the investigative panel.
The ownership of the tricycle and the circumstances surrounding its disposal remain at the centre of the dispute. While Ishola reportedly maintained that the proceeds were used for departmental needs, UCH management was said to have maintained that the tricycle became hospital property after he handed it over to the Pharmacy Department.
The union said it had exhausted its efforts to resolve the matter through dialogue, including issuing two ultimatums to the hospital management. Olabampe said members would remain on strike until the union’s demands were met.
The latest industrial action adds to previous labour disputes at UCH. In March 2026, workers under the Council of UCH Union Leaders embarked on a five-day warning strike over alleged electricity rationing at the hospital, saying the situation was affecting surgeries, laboratory services and other clinical operations.
The new strike could lead to further disruption of services at the tertiary health institution, which serves as a major referral and training centre for patients and health professionals in the region.
