Northern Youths Forum Frowns At Health Workers Bias On Buhari’s Govt 

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Yakubu Busari

 

A group under the aegis of Northern Youth Forum has disclosed that the six weeks strike by the Joint Health Sector Unions and Assembly of Heath care Professionals, JOHESU is a bias against the Government of Buhari.

In a world press conference in Jos on Wednesday he Coordinator Maimuna Abdullahi and the secretary,Siraj Sawed said; ‘”In the last one week, out of respect for the association and the negative impact the strike is having on the productivity of Nigerians, recognized national political and religious leaders which include the leadership of the national assembly have intervened to stem the crisis, yet JOHESU has remain adamant and refuse to shift grounds for negotiation.

 

Abdullahi explained further  that; “we are convinced going by all the available information at our disposal that JOHESU national leadership have been induced by looters, fraudsters and economic saboteurs who have an axe to grind with President Muhammadu Buhari and his administration.

 

According to him, we share in the general belief that workers’ welfare, including condition of service, salaries and other emoluments should be the utmost of their employer, we are bound to dissociate from the premeditated and politically sponsored strike by JOHESU which was wickedly designed to punish poor and innocent Nigerians, all in a bid to score undue political points.

 

He noted that  at first, “we thought JOHESU owing to the specialized services they offer within the healthcare sector which include protection and preservation of human lives and the oath of allegiance most of the active participants in the strike have sworn to especially the nurses and pharmacists would have allowed commonsense and reason to prevail by responsibly channeling their grievances professionally in order to avoid colossal damage through death of citizens of this great republic, as such we immediately call for a logical review of their industrial action in order to save lives and in the interest of national survival, we urge JOHESU to suspend the strike action with immediate effect.

 

 

Comrade Abdullahi  stated  thus that; “that we cannot be taken for granted and that sovereignty belongs to us, and that an association of less than 0.05percent of our population cannot continue draw us backward as a nation.

 

He stressed the purpose of this press conference arises to put the records in the right perspective and also to educate the general populace of the happenings in the health sector as it is more obvious that the detractors of Nigeria are using the JOHESU strike as a mechanism for negotiation against the anti-corruption war of the federal government, this cannot work. It has failed.

 

Information has it that JOHESU want to continue to hold the entire country into ransom for undue political advantage. The major demand by JOHESU for the same salary structure with doctors in not reasonable, logical, presentable and it is totally unacceptable. The strike action borders on the leadership in the hospital and pay parity with medical doctors.  Globally, remuneration of workers is based on professional qualifications, relevance, input to work, international best practices among some other factors.  All allied healthcare professionals only act on patients upon the directive of the doctor which is the concept of clinical governance and which is acceptable as the best practice worldwide until the birth of JOHESU. The bitter truth about this imbroglio is assuming a total different dimension as those in the forefront of the JOHESU are playing tribal and ethnic game; as such we are perturbed that the welfare and well-being of Nigerians can be toyed with using ethnic colouration.  We have it on good authority that funding for the continuous sustainability of the strike is coming from certain part of the country.  It is totally unexplainable how a court order, which was duly sought and served, will be flouted by JOHESU.  More embarrassing is the ignorance displayed by JOHESU, saying they have appealed the court order, it is absolutely illegal and unheard of, to file an appeal challenging an ex-parte order, ex-parte order can only be vacated. We use this medium to call on the Attorney general and Minister of Justice Abubakar Malami (SAN) to charge leadership of JOHESU extraction for contempt of court. In the same vein, we admonish the management of all the medical facilities to lay off all erring members who have refused to report for duty as mandated by the Industrial court, this lawlessness must stop now.

 

It is high time the President, Muhammadu Buhari takes decisive action against self – seeking unions like JOHESU who are hell bent on impeding the growth of our economy, render our health invaluable and take the bull by the horn by stamping his feet against lawlessness and impunity. All JOHESU members in the various states who have equally joined should also resume back to work immediately, as we also advise their governors to deal decisively with them. If JOHESU refused to yield to all entreaties and call off the strike immediately, this will determine our next line of action.

 

It is on record that all demands of JOHESU predate this administration and in conjunction with the federal of labour and productivity and ministry of finance through the approval of the President has demonstrated confidence and courage in restoring the lost glory of the health sector and ascended to 85percent of their demands. We will recall that JOHESU which is the coming together of five (5) Registered Trade Unions and Professional Association has commenced nationwide indefinite industrial action since mid-night of Tuesday 17th April, 2018.  JOHESU is composed of 5 duly registered trade unions viz;

 

  1. Medical and Health Workers Union of Nigeria (MHWUN)

 

  1. National Association of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives (NANNM)

 

  1. Senior Staff Association of Universities. Teaching Hospitals. Research institutes and Ascot-dried Institutions (SSAUTHRIAD)

 

  1. Nigeria Union of Allied Health Professionals (NUAHP)

 

  1. Non Academics Staff Union of Education and Associated Institutions (NASU)

 

All indications and available reports, there was NO AGREEMENT between the Federal Government and JOHESU prior to the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari we have been made to understand that what JOHESU brandished as 2014 agreement were minutes of meetings they had with representatives of Federal Government. In September 2017, JOHESU presented 15-point demand and the Federal Government has implemented 14 while the last demand is still been attended to by the High Level Body set up by the government to look into its implementation. But what JOHESU is asking for is PARITY with medical doctors which is not practicable nor acceptable to the Federal Government. A cursory look at the salary tables in the health sector before and after Independence till date have always reflected RELATIVITY. JOHESU has no doubt assumed fully the position of opposition party in Nigeria.

 

Northern Youths Forum is a not for profit making membership coalition working in the 19 Northern states. The youths focus coalition aims at promoting good governance and developing the Northern region.

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