The striking health workers under the Joint Health Sector Unions (JOHESU), University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital (UITH) chapter yesterday staged a peaceful protest over 'neglect' by the federal government.

The workers, who matched within the premises of the UITH along Oke Oyi in Ilorin, said the federal government had displayed a nonchalant attitude to the ongoing strike.

Chairman of JOHESU, UITH, Comrade Kolawole Odebiyi, who addressed newsmen, noted that the workers' demand for better working conditions was legitimate.

He said: "The government is having a nonchalant attitude towards this ongoing strike which is against the general interest of the public. We feel that the government is busy with other things instead of attending to the issues on ground in the health sector. Not only that the federal health workers are on strike, even the state health workers are on strike. This should have called for national urgency but the nonchalant attitude of the government is causing us to protest and call on well meaning Nigerians to prevail on it. We do not delight in going on strike."

Commenting, Chief Medical Director of the hospital, Professor Abdulwaheed Olatinwo, appealed to the workers to call off the strike. He said the concerned workers should show a sense of patriotism and respect for the nation and human lives.

Olatinwo however praised members of the union for backing out of the strike in some states of the federation affected by activities of insurgents.