PORT HARCOURT: Women from Alakahia Community, hosts to the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital, UPTH, have picketed the Federal Health Institution over alleged their marginalisation of the community.

The women, who were adorned in black, stormed the entrance to the hospital as early as 5:30am, Friday, with placards demanding immediate attention from the hospital to the host community.

The peaceful protesters stated that the hospital has not taken them seriously, adding that their children who are qualified job are not given employment, adding that their women were only been unemployed as casuals without promotion.

Speaking, leader of the protest, Mrs. Awuri Uche Rose, regretted that all efforts by the community women to get the attention of the hospital have always failed, adding that their women were only employed as casuals.

Rose demanded that UPTH give due attention to the community by providing direct employment and admission to their children who want to study in the University of Port Harcourt, as well initiate an efficient process for Corporate Social Responsibility.

She said: “We, the host community women are here for our voice to be heard, so that our rights can be given to us. We need job employments, admission for our children, contracts for our children.

“We have been crying over the years. We have written series of letter to the management of the university and the hospital, and nobody want to hear us. If we come to the office for anything they will deny us. This is the reason today we took the bull by the horn.

“Even the quota they say they give to community for admission and employment, we don’t see anyone. We have remained peaceful so that our right as host community should be given to us. We are no longer comfortable with the casualization of our people. Most of our mothers have been working as casuals here for more than 10 years. It is not proper.”

However, the Vice Chancellor of the University of Port Harcourt, Prof. Princewill Georgewill, who addressed the women at the UPTH entrance, said the university management would do its best to address the issues raised by the protesting women.

He said: “There are three areas of demands they have made, Employment, Admission of their Children and attention for their widows.

“I have told the leader of the women to do a list for me and if possible, submit it to me. We may not be able to do as much as they want but those things we can do we will do them.

“As I told them, there are policies that guide the operation of university and within the limit of those policies and law, we will do what we can do for them.”