Posted on: Wed 17-06-2020

 In response to the publication .No DTS 1160 ASABA  (ONONYE Solicits Nurses Partnership in the Curbing of Maternal and Child Mortality) .They noted the following from his speech, that HCH Ononye, State that:

1)NANNM  should support the reduction of maternal and Under 5 Mortality in Rural Communities of Delta. 

2.) The training of Community Nurses and Midwives was an initiative of the Nursing and Midwifery Council-  of Nigeria (NMCN), that the program has been on for many years.

3.) Nurses has Consistently rejected posting to rural Communities and that Maternal/Under 5 mortality is  due to shortage of Nurses/Midwives willing to live & Work in Rural Communities  of Delta State .            

 4.)  He said "No need to sell forms and they will be bonded to work for some unspecified Years.        

5.) The same tutors and school will train them so the issue of quackery does not arise, 

6.) NANNM DELTA STATE CHAPTER has continously overstepped her boundaries of caring for the welfare of her members but instead preferred to usurp the policy formulation and implementation functions of the State Ministry of Health.        

After taking a closer look at the content and intent of the Commissioner's response, one would have ignored him in words by taking action, but for the sake of posterity and the public interest whom we are privileged to represent, made it inevitable for us to make a case of clarifications, reeducation, and subsequent suggestions on the way out of this dilemma that the commissioner did not give a second thought before delving into it.

Premised on this, we thus submit:

1)That NANNM is Constitutionally Saddled with the responsibility of the welfare of all the Nurses in Delta State which include those in the State Ministry of Health, Tertiary, Secondary and Primary health institutions, Private practitioners and unemployed Nurses and Midwives. Unfortunately the HCH is paddling in an unknown terrain with his informants  grossly misleading him in regards to the powers of NANNM as the watchdog of the profession and the public with the  abilities to forestall policies which are inimical to professional progress, and we need to know if one of the functions of the State Ministry of Health is the downgrading of  Nursing through the introduction of un-gazettted hazardous health matters under the disguise of caring for the wellbeing of "RURAL DWELLERS". The same Commissioner of Health Who said on the 8th October 2019 at the NLC house during the NANNM Election "That when I came into office and started seeing and hearing all this "we no go gree " people protesting against Nurses issues in the Ministry of Health, I thought they were troublemakers but now I know they are fighting for their rights". It is pertinent to mention that HCH Dr Ononye  has Repeatedly worked against the progress of the Nursing profession with alien policies and programmes in order to enrich himself and his friends  some of whom are Nurses with gullible characters. Such policies include but not limited to:

 (i.) Wrong placement of Staff in Administrative position in the Ministry of Health Eg. Level 13 Officer placed in Assistant Director position .

(ii) Contracting of  PTS examination in the School of Nursing.

(iii)  Removal of Rural Allowances from Nurses working in the Rural areas with false claims that "there are no rural Communities in Delta State".

( iv) Refusal of NMCN proposal of Upgrading the Schools of Nursing to Degree awarding Institutions.

 (v)Changing of PostBasic Midwifery Programme of School of Midwifery Asaba and Sapele to Basic  Midwifery as against Professional advises given.

(vi). Most recently application to the NMCN for "Community Nursing and  Midwifery programme" without the input of stakeholders in Nursing Care practice.  A programme planned originally for Northern Nigerians with lack of adequately trained Nurses and Midwives, was suddenly adopted by Delta State (Ministry Health)  with so much Pride, despite high levels of education and many unemployed Nurses and Midwives spanning into thousands from various communities in the state.

Each year the three Schools of Nursing and the State University produces about 300- 400 professionally licensed Nurses, yet the last employment of Nurses to The Local government areas(Rural) was done in 2004.

2) In seeing to the welfare of her members, the greatest wish of NANNM is the employment of over 1500 unemployed Delta State Nurses who are indigenes of the aforementioned Rural Communities spread out.                    

 3)  That Same Tutors and Schools will train them does not mean the  same curriculum! Since the Curriculum differs, so the duration of training they are definitely substandard products.  It is unfortunate that the commissioner of health who aimed to run a programme that would integrate at least one candidate from the political wards in the eighteen local Government areas of the state do not deem it fit to consult the political representatives of the people  at the state Houses of Assembly to make an amendment to the laws establishing the state Schools of Nursing Agbor and Eku if possible. Such action of his is not only an assault on the existing laws but capable of causing constitutional crisis in matters that the commissioner do not have jurisdiction over.

This lack of legal framework renders the programme fake, substandard and politically motivated as NMCN was diplomatically misled by the commissioner who did not reference the framework for such programme in the state. This is a matter of life, and regulations in terms of training, curriculum and assessment are inevitable let alone undermined. NANNM cannot watch while legalised quackery is being institutionalized by the commissioner who depends on foreign medical care to stay afloat.     

4.) There are clear evidence of advert and sales of  form for entrance examination sold at a non-refundable fee of #10,000 (ten thousand naira) per candidate into the Ministry of Health,Dept of Nursing and Midwifery Zenith bank account  - 1015649624. These are part of the decoy the public do not know about in the financial undertones motivating the promoters and plotters. Will the training for the two years be free of charge for the selected candidates from each wards?

5) Also no human being can be bonded to work in a particular location except that their freedom of movement is taken away. If by the completion of 2years a man from Lagos State proposed Marriage to the worker in Village A, B, or C, will she say No?    

 6) On allegation that Nurses consistently rejected posting to rural areas, we dare the commissioner to provide such evidence in the past 20years. For avoidance of doubts we have over 400 Nurses currently working in the Rural Communities even when their rural and riverine allowances have been withdrawn by Government for about  a year now under the gazing watch of Dr Onoye. For the areas needing more Nurses, the state should  employ and NANNM will ensure they are there as scheduled.       

7) The claim that the Community Nursing and Midwifery programme has been on for many years is a big lie ! NMCN did not also make the training mandatory for all States. NMCN circulars dated 20/02/20 and 03/03/20 and Numbered N&MCN/SG/RO/MH/10/VOL2/13 and N&MCN/SG/RO/CIR/24/VOL iv/152, is an indication that the program was initiated this year !

8) NANNM is 100% ready in the fight against Maternal and under 5 Mortality because even when there was gross shortage of Nurses in Delta State Hospitals 3years ago the Association graciously released 150 of her members to be employed. We believe that His Excellency, the Governor of Delta State will never be myopic on health issues as his achievements so far has proven this through the Successful free Maternal and Under 5 programme in which majority of the caregivers are Nurses and Midwives. 

If the issue of Maternal and Child Mortality, quality Health Care and Universal Coverage is an emergency ,why not replace the over 200 retired Nurses in the past 16years? Why wait two (2) whole years to train substandard products instead of employing Ready made quality products?

In submission, we hereby state:

-That the Governor should call the commissioner of health to order before setting the state on fire through his self motivated anarchist programme. Human life is precious and should not be traded

with on the altar of political gains and propaganda. Each life matters, thus the rural dwellers deserve the best of professionals either Nurses, Doctors, Midwives, CHOs, Paramedics.

-The State House of Assembly should investigate the motives behind the commissioners introduction of a pseudonyms of quackery programme when the state have more than 8 health related medical institutions that produces more than one thousand professionals per annum. From Abraka to Eku, Agbor, Warri, Asaba, Ughelli.

-The Government should as a matter of urgency lift embargoes on Health workers recruitment into the state ministry of health.

-A stakeholders conference should be called to address the best model to take care of the well-being of the rural dwellers.

-The Government can bear witness to the commitment of NANNM members in catering for the well-being of the residents in terms of the Healthcare. The Governor should caution his commissioner not to blackmail the union who is protecting the health safety of the people they pledged to protect.

-If the ongoing rule of engagement is serially breached by the commissioner, the forum shall in collaboration with sister bodies take further actions.

As professional Nurses in Delta State, what we need is employment of our graduate Nurses and Midwives and not training of low cadre Nurses and Midwives.

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