Standoff in Makurdi: BSUTH Doctors Ordered to Vacate Quarters Amid Strike

The industrial crisis at the Benue State University Teaching Hospital (BSUTH) took a dramatic turn on Tuesday, January 6, 2026, as the hospital management issued a three-month eviction notice to striking resident doctors. The directive, issued by the Chief Medical Director, Dr. Stephen Hwande, mandates that the doctors vacate their residential quarters to make way for a “comprehensive renovation” aimed at upgrading the facility to international standards. This move comes after more than a month of industrial action that has paralyzed specialized medical services at the state’s premier tertiary health institution.

During a tense press briefing at the hospital, the President of the Association of Resident Doctors (ARD) at BSUTH, Dr. Kawen Pededoo, reiterated the union’s grievances, which range from “pathetic” living conditions in the quarters to broader welfare issues and unpaid entitlements. The doctors argue that the strike was a last resort following years of neglect, citing leaking roofs and dilapidated infrastructure as evidence of a systemic failure in hospital management. In a direct plea to Governor Hyacinth Alia, Pededoo called for an urgent executive intervention, expressing hope that the “magnanimity” of the Governor could resolve the deadlock.

Dr. Hwande, however, maintained a firm stance, suggesting that the management’s decision to renovate the quarters is a step toward meeting the doctors’ own demands for better housing. He argued that the Alia-led administration is committed to transforming BSUTH into a “one-stop medical center,” but noted that frequent strikes have significantly hampered this progress. The CMD also claimed that while some grievances were long-standing, several new demands were only recently brought to the table, complicating the negotiation process.

The eviction notice has been viewed by labor observers as a high-stakes pressure tactic to force the doctors back to the consulting rooms. While the management frames the move as a necessary infrastructural upgrade, the striking physicians see it as an attempt to displace them during a period of vulnerability. The doctors have emphasized that they handle the vast majority of emergency cases in the state, including victims of regional instability, and that the current “demoralizing” environment is unsustainable for high-level medical practice.

As the three-month countdown begins, the fate of the hospital remains in the balance. The resident doctors have acknowledged the Governor’s previous efforts to improve the health sector but insist that “genuine commitment” must be shown regarding their specific 2025 welfare package. With patients caught in the middle of this administrative tug-of-war, the call for Governor Alia to act as a mediator has become the final hope for restoring stability to the embattled institution.