FG Moves to End Labour Crisis at FUTA Teaching Hospital, Summons Ondo Unions

Fidelis David in Akure

The Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare has stepped in to resolve the lingering industrial dispute at the Federal University of Technology Akure (FUTA) Teaching Hospital, inviting the leadership of Organised Labour in Ondo State to a high-level meeting aimed at restoring industrial harmony and ensuring uninterrupted healthcare services.

The intervention follows weeks of industrial unrest at the newly established federal teaching hospital and comes as the federal government concludes the transition of the former University of Medical Sciences (UNIMED) Teaching Hospital into the FUTA Teaching Hospital.

In a letter signed on behalf of the Permanent Secretary by the Deputy Director, RLDO, Mr. Festus Igbinosun, the Ministry informed the Chairman of the Trade Union Congress (TUC), Ondo State Chapter, that a delegation from Abuja would visit the hospital on Friday, July 24, 2026, to engage stakeholders on the issues responsible for the persistent disruption of services.

According to the letter, the meeting will be held at the Boardroom of the FUTA Teaching Hospital and follows a report submitted by the hospital’s management on the recurring industrial actions. The Ministry said the engagement is intended to provide a platform for constructive dialogue among all stakeholders and chart a path toward lasting industrial peace.

The latest intervention comes on the heels of the successful completion of the federal government’s takeover of the former UNIMED Teaching Hospital, which officially became the FUTA Teaching Hospital following the implementation of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between the Ondo State Government and the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare on October 23, 2025.

As part of the transition, the ministry said it completed the biometric capture of all eligible staff selected into the approved nominal roll, marking the final phase of their enrolment into the Federal Civil Service under the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System (IPPIS).

The staff absorption exercise, the Ministry noted, was conducted strictly in line with Article 5 (5.1.3) of the MoU, which provides that only eligible officers of the former state-owned hospital would be absorbed into the Federal Civil Service.

“To ensure transparency, an inter-ministerial committee comprising officials from the Federal Ministries of Health and Finance, the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, and the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation conducted a comprehensive verification exercise between December 8 and 12, 2025.

“The verification process involved scrutiny of age, qualifications, previous service records, the approved organisational structure for federal teaching hospitals, and the prescribed clinical-to-non-clinical staff ratio.

“Following the exercise, 265 members of staff were found ineligible for absorption into the Federal Civil Service and were subsequently recommended to the Ondo State Government for redeployment into the state civil service.

“The ministry also completed biometric capture for payroll enrolment in Akure between June 8 and 13, 2026, while a mop-up exercise was conducted in Abuja from July 9 to 13 for officers who were unable to participate in the initial exercise.”

It quoted the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Professor Muhammad Ali Pate, expressed appreciation to the Ondo State Government and residents of the state for their cooperation throughout the transition, describing the successful federal takeover as the product of mutual understanding and collaboration.