A PRESS BRIEFING BY NIGERIAN UNION OF ALLIED HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS (NUAHP) DELIVERED BY COMRADE. DR. OGBONNA OBINNA CHIMELA THE NATIONAL PRESIDENT (NUAHP) ON THE 9TH OF JUNE, 2015 AT THE UNIVERSITY COLLEGE HOSPITAL (UCH), IBADAN.

 

Preamble: Gentlemen of the press, you are welcome to the press briefing organized to give you update on the nationwide strike embarked upon by the Union since 18th of May, 2015.

 

You would recall that our Union on the 11th of May 2015 gave a 7 day ultimatum to Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan led Government to address the pending issues that he promised to resolve after the general elections in March, 2015. The 7 days ultimatum elapsed on the 17th of May, 2015 and the nationwide strike had to commence on the 18th of May, 2015 as the Government refused to take any action to address our demands.

 

On the 26th of May, 2015, the Federal Ministry of Health (FMOH) under the leadership of the Permanent secretary, Mr. linus Awute mni invited the National executives of the Union to a meeting at FMOH, Abuja to address the following issues as highlighted below:

- The urgent need to release a circular to implement an agreement on adjusted salary of all health professionals as done for NMA members since January, 2014.

- Payment of arrears on skipping of CONHESS 10 since year 2010 in compliance with a Court judgement.

- Promotion of our members from CONHESS 14 to 15 having spent over fifteen years on the grade and designated the most senior one as Director/HOD.

- Appointment of our members as Chief Medical Directors of various tertiary Hospitals rather than skewing the position in favor of Medical Practitioners only.

- Abolition of the post of Deputy Chairman, Medical Advisory Committee (DCMAC) since its creation is contrary to law.

- Immediate circularization of agreement reached since 2012 on the extension of retirement age from 60-65/70 years as applicable to our University Staff counterparts.

- Immediate payment of arrears of specialist allowance to all hospital based Healthcare Professionals who possess relevant post graduate qualifications and fellowship in line with extant law and 1982 Government position and who have attained the Consultant grade level salary or CONHESS 13 and above in the Teaching Hospitals.

- Immediate release of circular amending the extant circular for Medical Laboratory Science Interns to include post NYSC placement on grade level 09 and the need for upgrading of stale officers across board.

- And other related matters.

 

At that meeting, it was obvious that the Government had not made any appreciable progress from where the issues were as of the 22nd December, 2014 meeting where the Government asked for 3 weeks to pass the issues to the then President for a possible approval.

The permanent Secretary passionately appealed to the Union to suspend the strike that a Committee that involves Government and the Union’s representatives would be put in place with a template that would fast track the issuance and the implementation of the circulars. The representatives of the Union were invited to a follow up Committee meeting as Chaired by Mr. Danjuma. Kurau, the Director of Human Resources FMOH. 

 

At that meeting, the Chairman appealed to the representatives of the Union to kindly suspend the strike as he will personally go to the Office of the Head of Civil Service to fast track the issuance of the following circulars:

- The circular on the Medical Laboratory post NYSC placement on CONHESS 09 step 2 and upward lifting of stale Officers to the next level across board.

- Circular on retirement age from 60 to 65 years and other issues within the FMOH with a view to expedite action on their actualization before the next meeting which was slated for 16th of June, 2015 where other JOHESU leaders will be invited.

 

The National Administrative Council of the Union on the 4th of June, 2015, having assessed the impact of the strike through responses from the unit branches across the nation, made the following recommendations:

- That the strike was very effective nationwide.

Since one of the aims of the strike was to draw the attention of the present Government led by President Mohammadu Buhari to the pending issues that the Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan’s Government left unresolved.

 

Having achieved this and not to compound the sufferings of the innocent members of the public, having seen the seriousness exhibited by the Permanent secretary of the FMOH, Mr. Linus Awute and that the Chairman of the implementation Committee, Mr. Danjuma Kurau in handling the issues to the stage of issuance of circulars and their implementations, the house resolved that the nationwide strike should be suspended under the following conditions:

- That the strike should be suspended in honour of the newly elected Government of President Mohammadu Buhari, the Union is giving the Government till 31st July, 2015 starting from today, the 9th of June, 2015 to see that issues under contention are dispensed without further delay.

 

It is our firm belief that the present Government is going to bring sanity, justice, fairness and equity to the health sector.

 

The Union also calls on Mr. President to intervene in the crisis in the health sector where Medical Practitioners are oppressing other healthcare Professionals through the instrumentality of the Ministry of Health/Chief Medical Directors (who are Medical Practitioners) who flagrantly refuse to implement Court judgments, collectively bargained agreements and promotions of stagnated members of our Union according to scheme of service approved by Government. This must be attended to immediately to forestall incessant industrial crisis in the health sector.

 

Finally, I salute the courage of members of our Union throughout the nation for their patience, tenacity and cooperation throughout the period of the strike. Assuring them that no one would be victimized as a result of participating in the strike action. The Permanent Secretary is already handling the issue of half salary payment made to members of our Union for participating in the national strike by the University of Nigerian Teaching Hospital (UNTH) Enugu Management. 

 

The Union requests that the CMD of UNTH and other CMDs who are in such habit should be called to order for industrial peace to reign in their Institutions.

 

I also commend the resilient posture of our Union at FMC Owerri in the face of intimidation, blackmail, threat to life and coercion by the FMC Management/FMOH officials, to give up their legitimate demands which they have resisted so far,.

 

I want to assure you that the National body of the Union is solidly behind you as we make to efforts to resolve the crisis. As the National body suspends the nationwide strike today, the local strike in FMC Owerri continues until justice is done to all the local issues/demands.

 

I thank the members of the public for bearing with us, while calling on the Government of President Mohammadu Buhari to quickly address the matters urgently to bring the needed peace in the health sector.

Thank you.

 

Comrade. Dr. Ogbonna Obinna Chimela,

National President,

NUAHP.

SOURCE: Adeyeye Adetunji Tam (AMLSN NATIONAL PRO)