Storming a hospital with teargas is not just reckless, it is reckless endangerment of lives that are already hanging by a thread.
You do not bring chaos into a place where people are fighting for a breath of life. Professor Eyo Ekpe and every doctor, nurse, and patient in that environment deserved better. Our health sector is stretched thin as it is; this kind of heavy-handedness only pushes more of our best minds to pack their bags and leave.
We must insist on rule of law with dignity, not brute force that treats citizens like enemies in a war zone.
As the African proverb says: "A roaring lion does not catch its prey; it is the silent hunter that succeeds." True strength lies in restraint and wisdom, not in unnecessary force.
EFCC were reportedly to have turned the vicinity of a Teaching Hospital into a war zone by throwing tear-gas in the premises.
Are the officers well-trained to grasp the effects of their actions on susceptible patients suffering ailments that could be triggered?.
What a savage and barbaric act!
Teargas in a Hospital, a Thoughtless Act.
I have just read the recent troubling reports of how the operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (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.
While I understand and respect 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 these jobs are carried out is often deeply troubling.
Reportedly, the EFCC operatives who stormed the hospital shot some teargas canisters within the hospital premises which sent medical staff and patients running for safety. 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.
A New Nigeria is POssible. -PO
🔥 Recurring Buy helps build your crypto portfolio without timing the market at anytime you want for 35+ tokens available
🚀 Start with a minimum of $15 USD worth of crypto
📱 Get Cryptocom App No🔥 Recurring Buy helps build your crypto portfolio without timing the market at anytime you want for 35+ tokens available
🚀 Start with a minimum of $15 USD worth of crypto
📱 Get Cryptocom App No🔥 Recurring Buy helps build your crypto portfolio without timing the market at anytime you want for 35+ tokens available
🚀 Start with a minimum of $15 USD worth of crypto
📱 Get Cryptocom App Now