AN aide of the chairman of Obokun Local Government in Osun State allegedly beat into a state of coma a porter attached to the accident and emergency ward of the Ladoke Akintola University Teaching Hospital in the Osun State capital of Osogbo.
The unnamed official, who is the council boss’ Gbenga Ogunleye’s personal assistant, had rushed an accident victim, Adeyemo Oluwatosin, to the teaching hospital on Saturday evening when the incident occurred.
A source said that the assaulted porter, Mr. Adubi Akintoye, was handing over to a new officer who was to take over from him at the end of his shift when Oluwatosin, a driver in the Local Council, was rushed in.
It was learnt that Ogunleye’s PA descended on the porter, whom he felt was too slow in taking the crash victim into the ward.
The porter, who passed into coma after the battering, had a mild head injury and a dislocated right shoulder. Akintoye was subsequently admitted into the Accident and Emergency Ward of the hospital.
The Chief Medical Director, LAUTECH, Prof. Femi Fadiora, along with top management members of the hospital had to come to the hospital to restore order.
An official of the council, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said, “Because of the beating, the hospital did not attend to the patient for about one hour. When they eventually attended to him, they referred him to either the University Teaching Hospital, Ibadan, or University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital, Ilorin.
The official said, “They also insisted that we pay N13, 400 for the treatment of the porter and we paid before leaving for Ilorin.”
Chairman, Non-Academic Staff Union, LAUTECH chapter, Mr. S. O Ibitoye, condemned the battering.
He said, “They must produce the person that came to batter our member. If we don’t treat this issue squarely, one day they will storm the hospital and beat the CMD.”
Head, Public Relations Unit, LAUTECH, Mr. Ayo Adeyemo, said, “The matter is being looked into.”
When contacted on the telephone on Sunday, the council chairman said, “I don’t have any reaction for now.”