NNPC Medical Staff Demand Justice After Colleague’s Death in Port Harcourt Amid Alleged Negligence and Decades of Exploitation
NNPC Medical Staff Demand Justice After Colleague’s Death in Port Harcourt Amid Alleged Negligence and Decades of Exploitation
The death of Emmanuel Nnanna Friday, a management officer at NNPC Medical Services Limited (NMSL), has ignited outrage in Port Harcourt, exposing what workers describe as decades of systemic neglect and exploitation within the institution.
Emmanuel, a dedicated Human Capital Management Officer, reported for duty on August 27 but never returned home to his wife and three children. Eyewitnesses say he collapsed shortly after attending a virtual meeting with the Acting Managing Director, Dr. Dickson Bada, and other contract staff.
Despite frantic efforts to save him, the Accident and Emergency Unit lacked essential lifesaving equipment — including a defibrillator, suction machine, and ambu bag.
“He Begged for a Tablet but Was Denied”
Colleagues revealed that before his collapse, Emmanuel had pleaded for a single tablet of Nifedipine from the clinic’s pharmacy. But he was turned away under strict orders not to dispense drugs to locum staff.
This incident, the staff say, is not isolated but part of a longstanding pattern of institutional cruelty.
Locum Staff Speak Out
In a statement titled “The Tragic Death of Emmanuel Nnanna Friday: A Call for Justice at NMSL”, the Concerned LOCUM Staff Group accused management of creating conditions where over 95% of workers — employed as locum staff — carry the weight of clinical services while facing systemic exploitation:
Paid as little as ₦200,000 monthly.
No job security, no career growth, no pension enrollment.
No hazard or overtime allowances, despite long hours in high-risk environments.
No access to the same medical care they provide to others.
Some staff have reportedly given over 24 years of service without conversion to permanent positions — a cycle the group describes as “modern-day slavery.”
Demands for Justice
The group is demanding:
An independent investigation into Emmanuel’s death.
Public accountability from NMSL management.
Immediate conversion of long-serving locum staff to permanent roles.
Equal healthcare access for all staff.
Payment of hazard, overtime, and leave allowances.
Pension and health insurance enrollment for all workers.
Compensation and support for Emmanuel’s widow and three children.
“Enough is Enough”
“The cycle of preventable deaths must end,” the group declared. “Equal work deserves equal pay and benefits. We demand dignity, not exploitation. Stop the corrupt contracts and invest in the workers who are the true foundation of Nigeria’s healthcare system.”
They urged the Federal Ministry of Labour, Federal Ministry of Health, Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), civil society organisations, and the Nigerian public to rally behind the call for justice.
Emmanuel’s death, they say, should mark the breaking point of a decades-long struggle for fairness in Nigeria’s healthcare system.
By Haruna Yakubu Haruna
