Health workers in Nigeria under the umbrella of the Joint Health Sector Unions (JOHESU) and Assembly of Healthcare Professional Associations (AHPA) have declared an indefinite strike beginning from Thursday.
Addressing a press conference after the National Executive Council (NEC) meeting of JOHESU, its National Vice Chairman, Dr. Obinna Ogbonna, said the strike was necessitated by the federal government’s inability to respond to the grievances of the workers despite a series of appeals and representations.
He said: “Consequent upon the nonchalant, bias and lackadaisical attitude of the Federal Ministry of Health against JOHESU members and the resolution of the expanded National Executive Council (NEC) meeting of the Joint Health Sector Unions (JOHESU) held on Monday, 8th May, 2023, our members in Federal Health Institutions nationwide are hereby directed to withdraw their services indefinitely commencing from 00:00 hour on Thursday, 25th May, 2023.”
Ogbonna listed the issues in dispute as Adjustment of Consolidated Health Salary Structure (CONHESS), payment of peculiar allowances to health workers under the aegis of JOHESU/AHPA and immediate and unconditional implementation of the Consultant Cadre Circular for Pharmacists in all Federal Health Institutions.
Other demands included payment of all withheld salaries of their members in Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Owerri; Jos University Teaching Hospital (JUTH); Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), and outstanding April and May, 2018 salaries of members in Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Azare.
Furthermore, their demands included payment of health workers excluded in the payment of new hazard allowances.
Ogbonna said the adjustment of CONHESS Scale as was done with CONMESS Scale in 2009, the federal government committed itself to a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on relativity in the two salary structures that were introduced via Consolidated Health Salary Structure (CONHESS) for all health workers except physicians and Consolidated Medical Salary Structure (CONMESS) for physicians.
He said the implication of the MoU was that any adjustment on any of the salary structures would transcend to the automatic tinkering of the other structure by a commensurate ratio.
“On January 2nd, 2014, the federal government adjusted the CONMESS Scale holistically and further adjusted selectively for physicians in 2017, without adjusting that of CONHESS for other health workers.
“During negotiations on this matter in 2018, with a team of federal government officials led by the Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr. Chris Ngige, and the then Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Adewole, who incidentally are physicians, it was impossible to break the impasse which has lasted up till today.”
Ogbonna revealed that at the peak of negotiations with the federal government team, it offered N6.5 billion which was rejected because it was grossly below the N22.6 billion prepared by the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission (NSIWC) as agreed in the 2017 Terms of Settlement.
He added that an intervention was also brokered by the leadership of the National Assembly, who promised to accommodate federal government approvals for CONHESS through supplementary budget.
“It is imperative to put on record that contrary to the information that it was President Muhammadu Buhari, who refused to approve the N22.6billion from NSIWC, the estimate from NSIWC was never presented for the president’s approval.
“At least, it was the High Level Body (HLB) Command of the federal government that refused to okay the estimate of N22.6 billion to cater for the adjustment of CONHESS Scale as was done with CONMESS Scale.
“This particular development confirms that the rings of physicians who preside over the Federal Ministry of Health are clever users of untruth.
“They have been manipulating events and dropping the name of President Buhari to have their professional interest dominate proceeding in the health sector,” he said.
The health sector unions had earlier on Wednesday staged a protest in Abuja, and had urged Buhari to immediately approve and implement the Technical Committee Report on the adjustment of Consolidated Health Salary Structure(CONHESS).
The unions had also tasked the incoming government, the National Assembly, especially senators-elect and House of Representatives Members-elect to ensure the appointment of seasoned administrators with cognate experience as ministers in charge of the health sector.Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja
Follow us on:
The CAC has removed dormant companies that failed to file annual reports for 10 years…
NEC has set a one-week deadline for Kwara, Kebbi, and Adamawa to submit state police…
Amazon may face an EU investigation over preferential treatment of its own products under the…
https://cdn.veri.app/a21afe40-c7c7-4a5c-b145-4fc72382ab4b.mp4 Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, during the night of tribute, held in honour of the…
The Kano State government has reunited 79 pardoned minors accused of looting in the #End…
Matt Gaetz has announced that he is withdrawing his name from consideration as Donald Trump’s…
View Comments
by the federal government of nigerian IMPOUNDED VEHICLES FOR SALE IN A CHEAP AND AFFORDABLE AUCTION PRICE INTERESTED BUYER SHOULD KINDLY CONTACT OFFICER ODISI .
NIGERIA CUSTOM
{2022 /2023 }
REPLACEMENT//RECRUI
TMENT FORM IS OUT
BAGS OF RICE 18,500
VEGETABLE OIL 25.
LITTER 10,000
TOKUMBO VEHICLE FOR
SALE AT AUCTION PRICE
INTERESTED BUYER
SHOULD CONTACT
OFFICER ODISI ON
[O91 347 21987]
CARS FEATURES AND
PRICE BELOW
GOLF 2,3,4,5 #350,000
TOYOTA CAMRY BIG
DADDY #550,000
TOYOTA CAMRY
TINYLIGH= #350,000
TOYOTA CAMRY
MUSCLE= #850,000
TOYOTA CAMRY
PENCILLIGHT=#400,000
TOYOTA COROLLA
le=#550,000
TOYOTA COROLLA
S=#750,000
TOYOTA
VENZA=#950,00 1.8m
TOYOTA Hilux 1.5 million
TOYOTA AVALON
#800,000
TOYOTA AVENSIS
#700,000
TOYOTA RAV4 800,000
TOYOTA SIENNA
#650,000
TOYOTA
4runner#850,000
TOYOTA TUNDRA 1.9m
TOYOTA PICNIC
#550,000
TOYOTA Highlander
#950,000
TOYOTA PADRO JEEP
1.6m
TOYOTA LAND
CRUISER=1.5m
TOYOTA YARIS #459,000
TOYOTA MATRIX
#650,000
TOYOTA HAICE BUS
#950,000
ACCURA ZDX 1.6m
ACCURA MDX 1.9m
HONDA PILOT #950,00
HONDA BABY BOY
#550,000
HONDA END OF
DISCUSSION
600,000
HONDA ACCORD
#450,000
Honda CR-V #850,000
INFINITY fx450 #750,000
to 1.4m
NISSAN MURANO
#650,00
LEXUS RX 350 #1.2m
LEXUS RS 330 # 1m
LEXUS RS 300 # 900,000
LEXUS RX 470 1.5m
All NEGOTIABLE WE
RENDER GOOD SERVICE
TO CUSTOMER ....{ E.T .C}
LOCATION AT OGUN
STATE IDIROKO BORDER WE
HAVE TWO OPTION
ELDER WE DELIVERY OR
YOU COME OVER IF WE
HAVE TO COME OVER WE
NEED THIS FROM YOU
{1} NATIONAL ID CARD
{2} BORDER PERMIT
{3} INSPECTION DOCUMENTS
{4} 2PASSPORT
THANKS FOR YOUR
PATRONAGE WE
DELIVER TO 36 STATE IN
NIGERIA AND ALSO
COME DOWN WITH THE
FULL PAYMENT CALL
FOR MORE
INFORMATION
{091 347 21987 }