Former Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has condemned the invasion of the University of Uyo Teaching Hospital by operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.
In a statement posted on his verified X handle on Thursday,
Obi said firing teargas in a hospital is a thoughtless act.
Obi said while he understands and respects the fact that the
EFCC, and indeed, all other government agencies have their constitutional
rights to do their jobs without interference, the manner in which some of the
jobs are carried out is often deeply troubling.
Recall that EFCC operatives reportedly stormed
the hospital and fired teargas canisters within the premises, causing medical
staff and patients to run for safety.
“I have just read the recent troubling reports of how the
operatives of the EFCC allegedly stormed the University of Uyo Teaching
Hospital in a bid to arrest Professor Eyo Ekpe, a professor of cardiothoracic
surgery and deputy chairman of the hospital’s medical advisory committee.
“This thoughtless act greatly compromised the general safety
in the hospital environment and further jeopardised the health of the medical
personnel and the sick people in the hospital.
“I have always said that the most fundamental intangible
asset upon which any nation functions effectively is the rule of law and order.
The disorderliness allegedly demonstrated by the EFCC operatives at the
hospital must not be encouraged.
“Nothing justifies the use of teargas canisters in a fragile
hospital environment. Do we not realise that our hospitals are part of our most
critical contributors to development?
“We must also learn to respect the lives and dignity of our
citizens. If a Professor of Cardiothoracic Surgery is arrested in such a
demeaning manner in a hospital environment, what signals are we sending to
other medical professionals working hard to keep our health sector afloat?
“It is reported that Nigeria has only 80 cardiothoracic
surgeons serving its 230 million people, and the Prof Eyo Ekpe is the only one
in Akwa Ibom State.
“Let us learn to do better. Let us condemn and eschew the
rascality and disorderliness that have continued to characterise some of our
public offices and bring in civility in the discharge of our duties,” Obi
wrote.
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