Rights group moves to block sale of nurses' Jakande-era Lagos property
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The Campaign for Democratic and Workers' Rights has asked the national leadership of the nurses' and midwives' union to drop plans to sell Nurses House on Victoria Island and wants a caveat placed on the building.
The Campaign for Democratic and Workers' Rights (CDWR) has cautioned the national leadership of the National Association of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives (NANNM) against a planned sale of its Lagos property, which the group says was donated by the administration of former Lagos State governor Lateef Jakande.
In a statement signed by CDWR national chairperson Rufus Olusesan and national publicity secretary Chinedu Bosah, the group asked the union to halt the proposed sale of Nurses House at 43 Churchgate Street, Victoria Island, and to concentrate on members' welfare and employment concerns instead.
The CDWR alleged that the NANNM national leadership, working with some officials of its Lagos State Council, had concluded plans to sell the property to raise funds for a proposed project in Durumi, Abuja. It said the building was donated by the Lagos State Government under Jakande to serve as an investment and welfare centre for nurses in Lagos and across the country.
The group argued that the union already owns several properties in Abuja, including duplexes, bungalows, a guesthouse and a hotel, as well as parcels of land in Gwagwalada, and questioned why the Lagos asset had to be sold. It described Nurses House as a strategic asset capable of generating revenue while preserving the heritage of the nursing profession.
The CDWR called on the relevant authorities to place a caveat on the property to prevent its sale, transfer or other form of alienation, and asked for a declaration that the building is held in trust for the nursing profession and cannot be sold without the democratic approval of nurses in Lagos State. The statement also accused the union's leadership of neglecting workplace issues including casualisation, contract staffing, unlawful dismissal and harassment.