Following his suspension of Reida El-Oakley as health minister, the Beida-based interim premier Abdullah Al-Thinni has appointed the undersecretary at the ministry, Saad Abdulrazaq, as acting minister.
Last week, Thinni suspended Oakley and ordered an enquiry after the House of Representatives’ health and environment committee issued a report alleging maladministration by the minister.
It was the second time he suspended Oakley over the same allegations. He did so a year ago but then reinstated him after a court in Beida rulled the suspension illegal.
Oakley has rejected Thinni’s new decision, applying to the court in Beida to have it overturned. He has also called on it to censure Thinni for ignoring its previous judgement. He further accuses Thinni of creating administrative confusion and of blocking health ministry decisions, such as one to give health workers health insurance.
On Tuesday, staff at the health ministry announced an indefinite strike in support of the minister, complaining that despite its report, no one from the HoR’s health committee had been to the ministry for the past two years to investigate anything. They are also angry that Oakley was not summoned by the committee to answer any of the allegations against him.
