Truth is that JOHESU is founded on deep seated hatred, lies, misinformation, propaganda, misguided over ambition, blackmail, and rascality entrenched by their erstwhile leader, Ayuba Wabba who is the current NLC Chairman.

 

1. CONMESS came from CONTISS by the MOU signed after series of collective bargaining that were concluded in 2009 and implementation commenced in 2010 after the then NARD Strike. CONMESS never originated from CONHESS. Doctors were never in CONHESS at any point in time.

 

However after FG/NMA had their MOU that gave birth to CONMESS, the other health workers went and uploaded CONMESS verbatim which was why u can see teaching allowance, specialist allowance in CONHESS circular today.

Unfortunately for them, the proviso for earning specialist allowance is contained in a defining clause which states 'payable only to those appointed as consultants' hence the genesis of their agitation to be appointed consultants.

 

2. NMA, upon the release of CONMESS cirxular, immediately noticed some errors in difference with the agreed MOU in areas of relativity and call duty calculation. Johesu had no knowledge of this and were happy with the bogus CONHESS which was derived essentially from CONMESS template. NMA leadership under Dr Osahon Enabulele, eventually succeeded in getting the corrections sorted out which gave rise to Relativity and Corrected CONMESS circulars in 2014. Infact NMA was begged to forgo 4 to 5 years arrears of that correction as the financial burden was so heavy on FG and NMA accepted.

So it should be made clear to all that there was no increase in salary for NMA in 2014, rather what happened was correction of anomalies. Relativity is sacrosanct and so whenever the basic salaries of other health workers is increased, automatically, there should be corresponding increment in doctors' basic salary using the agreed ratio. FG fully understands this.

 

3. CONMESS 1 is equivalent to CONHESS 9 and not 12 as mischievously stated in this ridiculous Johesu release.

 

4. Skipping is an injustice that has been meted out on doctors for decades by our exclusion from it and so when it dawned on NMA that FG is unserious about stopping it, we had to key in so as not to distort the existing Relativity on entry point. Again we are to be paid the arrears only as from 2014 when we keyed in while other decades are forgone. Doctors need to work in unity and support our CMDs/MDs to ensure our hospitals are running optimally.

 

Let our affiliate leaders engage the media for the much needed correct information dissemination to the public on the true state of affairs in the health sector.

 

Dr Ilokanuno Chinedu

Immediate Past Sec NMA Enugu State

Chairman NMA Committee on Medical Equipment & Devices.