NGO, Socialist Workers League, kicks against intimidation of Nurse Olamide Thomas,demands immediate release orn her certificate by Ladoke Akintola University of Technology

 

Posted by allcitynews.ng 

The leadership of a Non-governmental  Organisation, Socialist Workers League (SWL) has kicked against the  alleged withholding of the  certificate of one  of  the students in Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH), Olamide Thomas.

Just as SWL, in a statement, by the National Chairperson, Kelvin Ayemhenre and the National Secretary, Amara Nwosu, demanded for the  immediate release of  Nurse Olamide Thomas.

Expressing their displeasure over  the  circumstances under which  the school authority allegedly withheld her  certificate,  the duo pointed out  that "the management of Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH) has resorted to intimidation, suppression and violation of the democratic rights of Nurse Olamide Thomas.

According to Ayemhenre and Nwosu, "The certificate or  Thomas  is allegedly being withheld for her  boldness to  speak out  against the school's alleged  abnormality.

"Thomas's crime is speaking truth to power in defence of Nigerian nurses. The university has refused to issue her BSc Nursing certificate in the wake of her expose of how negligence of the school authorities contributed to the  alleged death of eight nursing students of the institution. This is totally unacceptable. SWL demands the immediate and unconditional issuance of Nurse Thomas’s certificate."

Moreover, Ayemhenre and Nwosu alleged that "As National Coordinator of the Elegant Nurses Forum, Thomas has been a beacon of struggle and hope for thousands of nurses and nursing students. She conscientiously brings cases of the violation of their human, trade union and labour rights to light, without fear and with utmost diligence to facts."

The  two calling on LAUTECH  reiterated their call  on  the  alleged involvement of the school, saying, "LAUTECH should be concerned with the message and address it, instead of victimising the messenger. The institution must stop practices that avoidably put students' lives at risk. We demand an inquiry into the immediate and remote causes of the deaths of the eight nursing students. We demand an investigation into the reports of financial malfeasance and disrespect for the dignity of the students, which she has repeatedly unearthed."

Similarly,  SWL  stated that authoritarian tactics and lies cannot suppress the truth nor can these dampen the working-class activist spirit that Nurse Thomas has brought to bear with the ENF’s campaigns for justice, equity and fairness.

"We urge the trade unions, civil society organisations and all we stand for social justice to join in demanding that the LAUTECH management and the Oyo state government take the necessary step to end this attempt at suppress her spirit, which they cannot achieve, issue her the BSc Nursing certificate forthwith and take action to remedy the tradition of negligence and malfeasance which she has boldly revealed."