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The protracted industrial action at Benue State University Teaching Hospital (BSUTH) has taken a fresh twist as striking workers, particularly nurses, have openly accused the Chief Medical Director, Dr. Terungwa Stephen Hwande, of deliberately short-paying promotion arrears approved since 2023.
Social media commentator Jerry D. Asom on Monday leaked what he claims is the authentic 2023 promotion arrears payment list, showing glaring discrepancies between the government-approved amounts and what staff actually received after the partial settlement that followed the December 2024 strike.
According to the leaked documents now circulating widely across Benue social media platforms, several nurses who were entitled to as much as ₦700,000 in accumulated promotion arrears reportedly received only ₦300,000, while others got as little as ₦200,000. The documents detail names, approved sums, amounts allegedly paid by the CMD, and the resulting shortfalls, sparking outrage among the affected health workers.
Asom stated that the underpayment forms a central part of the grievances sustaining the current strike, describing it as evidence of “a deeper systemic rot” within the hospital’s management. He further disclosed that the leaked figures cover only the nursing department, adding that other departments are still compiling their own records and are expected to reveal similar or even worse discrepancies in the coming days.
The development has intensified anger among BSUTH staff, many of whom now insist that no lasting resolution can be reached until the full approved arrears are paid and an independent audit of the hospital’s finances is conducted.
As of the time of filing this report, the BSUTH management and Dr. Hwande have yet to respond to the allegations, but sources within the hospital say the CMD is under increasing pressure to address the claims or risk a total breakdown of trust between the administration and the workforce.
The strike at BSUTH, which has crippled healthcare delivery in the state for weeks, appears far from over as these fresh revelations threaten to prolong the standoff between the government, hospital management, and aggrieved workers.
