Coordinating minister for the economy and minister of finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala declared yesterday that the N13 billion demanded by the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) to end the ongoing doctor’s strike was not captured in the 2014 national budget.
Okonjo-Iweala, who was represented by the director general of the Budget Office of the Federation, Bright Okogu, insisted that the federal government will not be compelled to “print money” to pay the striking doctors.
These were fallouts of the third reconciliatory meeting between the NMA, health ministry and the finance ministry convened by the Ndudi Elumelu-led House of Representatives Committee on Health.
“The easiest thing to say is go and print money, but you know the implication and I won’t mention countries who are near us, some of them who today are in deep trouble because of issues like this.” Okogu stated in response to requests by the House Committee that the federal government source money to pay the doctors.
Okogu stated further: “This competitive wage demand for increase is not sustainable and is not in the best interest of the nation as the wage bill has risen from N857 billion in 2009 to N1.8 trillion in 2014.
The DG Budget warned that bowing to the doctors’ demand will open a floodgate similar requests from pharmacists, nurses and other categories of health workers.
The NMA insisted on at least six months payment or half of the N13 billion arrears being demanded.
“We can’t promise to call off less we have a minimal thing we can return to our members with.” NMA’s First Vice President Dr. Titus Ibekwe stated at the meeeting.
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