The Chief Medical Director of Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), Idi-Araba, Lagos, Professor Christopher Bode has said that the government is owing no doctor four months’ salary.
This is against the backdrop of the protest of the hospital’s Association of Resident Doctors (ARD), that they are being owed two months salaries while some doctors are owed up to four months salaries.
They also protested what they described as “discriminatory tax policy”.
At a press conference, the Association’s president, Dr Akinkunmi Afolabi said, despite the daunting challenges they face in their line of duty, the management of LUTH had failed to recognise their efforts and had continued to delay their salaries.
Afolabi said other health workers, including doctors in other Federal Government hospitals had been paid.
He said, doctors in Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospital, Ile-Ife (OAUTH), Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital, Zaria (ABUTH), Yaba Psychiatric Hospital and Igbobi Orthopaedic Hospital, Lagos have been paid and there’s no excuse why LUTH doctors shouldn’t be paid.
“Because of the sensitive nature of our job, and we are of the opinion that the public will prevail on the management of the hospital and President Muhammadu Buhari so we can be paid.
“Some of the doctors who started working here in August 2015 haven’t been paid for four months but some who have been here before then are being owed for two month,” Afolabi said.
He added that, “In a sad replay of the unfortunate events of December 2014, the December 2015 and January 2016 salaries have been withheld. Members have had to toe, once again, the un-dignifying path of borrowing money to pay house rent, examination fees, and children’s school fees, amongst other pressing needs while the management has cited the oft-repeated annual mopping up exercise by the office of the Accountant General of the Federal for the non – payment of December salaries through a circular reference N0. TH/ACCT/D.27/27.”
However, in a telephone interview, Prof Bode said, “LUTH does not pay salaries of doctors. The Federal Government pays directly into everybody’s account. It is the government that owes LUTH doctors. As for December salary, government officials have said they are working on paying it. So, December salary is being awaited.
“It’s not just a LUTH problem. LUTH doctors are not the only ones affected. University College Hospital, (UCH), Ibadan, University of Benin Teaching Hospital, Benin (UBTH), OAUTH, Ife and the hospital in Ido-ani are being owed December salary. Everybody knows and appreciate that the government is trying its best to control the financial crisis.”
He also said, “As at Thursday night, they were paid January salary and it is mischievous for anybody to say they’ve not been paid December salary because the government that owes the money has promised to pay and has urged all of us to be patient and that has been communicated to all concerned. We are not the only category of workers in Nigeria that are owed December salary.”
On the discriminatory tax policy, the LUTH boss said, “During Prof. Akin Osibogun’s administration, the tax issue came up after some arrears were deducted following the state’s decision to apply Personal Income Tax Act of 2011 (PITA). This led to a team from Lagos Inland Revenue Service (LIRS) coming to make a presentation in LUTH for staff; explaining the tax act. “When the unions still appeared unsatisfied, the hospital management arranged a meeting with the Chairman of LIRS then, Mr Tunde Fowler, with all unions excos in attendance. At the said meeting the state insisted that the tax was appropriate because Lagos had decided to apply the PITA to the letter.
“It was argued and verified at that meeting that those being paid by the FG were taxed less and that states like Ogun were giving doctors waivers. This was confirmed in a phone call Mr. Fowler put through to his Ogun state counterpart on speaker. However the state insisted on the continued application of PITA and when the doctors argued that call duty should not be taxed, this was rejected, and instead they were advised to apply for reliefs, or some other waivers/reduction on some other things which they pay to the state, and that the government may consider it. There was some argument that even Lagos state doctors were paying less than LUTH doctors but the files for Lagos state were not found that day. The meeting ended on that note.
“Nigerian Medical Associatioan (NMA) Lagos chapter, set up a tax committee and the committee visited LIRS again, and based on their findings, the committee advised NMA Lagos to approach the next state governor with a proposal as it seemed the then Fashola government was winding down and not likely to do anything before leaving.
“Now it is important to note that had all doctors been on Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS), the tax issue would not have arisen, because the tax regime is less on IPPIS. This is why non-doctors who agreed to go on IPPIS have not been as concerned about the tax compared to when they were not on IPPIS. Unfortunately, it is possible that the FG tax regime may now be adjusted to match that of Lagos because Mr. Fowler, who was the main man behind this state tax approach, is now the head of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS). However, until that is done the advice will be that all doctors should be moved to IPPIS and MDCAN National is working on this), and also that the current NMA exco should take up the advice it’s tax committee made, to submit a tax relief proposal to the new state govt.
“The tax issue is a settled one as you have read. It was never brought up again by any group and as head of ARD, he knew the history till date.”
On clarification on the salaries, he said, “the January salaries of all doctors were paid Thursday night, February 4, by the Government. We had sent series of messages to all doctors and I’ve had meetings with the President of ARD three times in the past three weeks.”
Also speaking with our correspondent, Dr Chidubem Gbujie said, there are challenges in the hospital, “both infrastructure and renumeration wise and this is impacting greatly on the service delivery we intend to give to the public.
“For those of us who started around August 2015, we’re being owed 4 months salaries. We are begging prominent Nigerians to come to our rescue. As it is now, we can’t plan our future. We also beg that our December salary and subsequent arrears be paid so we can be motivated.”
Meanwhile, the LUTH CMD said, government owes nobody 4 months’ salary.
“Anyone who makes such claims is yet to approach their employers and complain as it will be that he or she has not completed their employment formalities. The Hospital will act swiftly only on receipt of a complaint from its employee, not an association, when such concerned person, if any, is yet to approach Management.”
By: Lara Adejoro
Daily Times News
ABUJA: Training Schedule for Basic Life Support BLS, Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS), Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support ACLS, First Aid, CPR, AED
PORTHARCOURT: Training Schedule for Basic Life Support BLS, Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS), Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support ACLS, First Aid, CPR, AED
LAGOS: Training Schedule for Basic Life Support BLS, Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS), Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support ACLS, First Aid, CPR, AED
STOP paying for airtime and electricity, Let your phone pay its bills with ScreenT
You may also like
Comrade Lemii Christian Emerges Chairman of NANNM Rivers State Branch in Historic Victory
PORT HARCOURT, NIGERIA Following the long awaited National Association of N…
FG Supports Robotic Surgery Expansion to Reduce Medical Tourism
Nigeria is taking another step toward strengthening specialised healthcare …
Complete Knee Replacement Rehabilitation Package in Lagos
Knee replacement surgery is a major step toward pain relief and improved mo…
NAMDA threatens strike over unpaid medical lecturers’ allowances
The Nigerian Association of Medical and Dental Academics (NAMDA) has warned…
Resident Doctors Signal End to Strike Threat After High-Level Talks with Gbajabiamila
The threat of a nationwide indefinite strike by the Nigerian Association of…
