Healthworkers petition Jonathan over exclusion from National Conference, re-appointment of Orhii as NAFDAC's boss 

• Threaten to withdraw from negotiations with govt over suspended strike, 

HEALTH workers under the aegis of the Assembly of Healthcare Professionals (AHP) and Joint Health Sector Unions (JOHESU) petitioned President Goodluck Jonathan over exclusion of its professional bodies as participants at the forthcoming National 

Conference and the re-appointment of Dr. Paul Orhii as the director general of the National Agency for Food, Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC). 

AHP comprises of Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN), Association of Medical Laboratory Science of Nigeria (AMLSCN)" National Association of Nigerian Nurses and Midwives (NANNM), Nigeria Society of Physiotherapists (NSP), Association of Radiographers (AR) and Health Information Managers Association of Nigeria (HIMAN). JHESU is made up of major unions including: Medical Health Workers Union (MHWU); Nigeria Union of Allied Health Professionals (NUAHP); and Senior Staff 

Association of Universities Teaching Hospitals ' and Research Institutes (SSAUTHRJ). 

The Health Workers in a letter to President Goodluck Jonathan, HQ/JOHESU/ADM/VOLII/314, titled "Nomination of Representatives of Professional Bodies in The Health Sector to National Conference" dated February 1, 2014, and jointly signed by Chairman, JOHESU, Dr. Ayuba P. Wabba, Secretary JOHESU, Yusuf-Badmus W. G. and President, PSN, Olumide Akintayo, asked for immediate approval to the nomination of at least three of their member bodies that is PSN, NANNM and AMLSCN to be represented at the National Conference. 

The Health Workers threatened to pull out from on-going negotiation with government on injustice pertaining to labour matters if the president does not immediately redress the matter. 

They prayed: "Your Excellency, we respectfully implore you as one of the condition precedent in our on-going negotiation with government on injustice pertaining to labour matters to immediately redress this matter by giving immediate approval to the 

nomination of at least three of our member bodies to be rep- resented at the National Conference." 

The letter reads: "In recent memo we pointedly drew attention of President Jonathan to 'yet another in the series of unlawful appointments in the health sector, when government re-appointed Dr. Paul Orhii as Director General, NJ\FDAC in flagrant 

violation of Section 9 of the NAFDAC Act which provides a condition precedent that the Director General of NAFDAC 

must have good knowledge of food and drugs. 

"After one of our member organisations drew attention of the federal government to this gaffe when the unlawful appointment was first made in January 2009, senior govern- ment officials persuaded the Association of Community Pharmacists which challenged the appointment in court to withdraw it on grounds that government willcorrect that grave injustice, which it has 

again rubbed on our face. 

 As if this was not enough, we have observed that the federal government has listed only the following professional bodies, 

excluding its members, as participants at the forthcominl?, National Conference. 

AHP and JOHESU said "they are worried that the health sector as usual has received very shabby treatment in obvious continuation of the levity and contempt with which government conventionally treats professionals in the health sector; "apart from doctors who get the status of sacred cows." 

The Health Workers said they feel very slighted that true representatives of the health work force in Nigeria has been neglected, ignored and treated with disrespect for too long in the annals of national endeavours of this nature. 

They, however, said: "We have therefore collectively resolved that on this occasion we shall not leave this situation unchallenged." 

By Chukwuma Muanya