ADVERTISEMENT
  • The Membership Club
  • #EndSARS Dashboard
  • PT Hausa
  • About Us
  • Advert Rates
  • Careers
  • Contact Us
Wednesday, May 18, 2022
Premium Times Nigeria
  • Home
  • Gender
  • News
    • Headline Stories
    • Top News
    • More News
    • Foreign
  • Investigations
  • Business
    • News Reports
    • Financial Inclusion
    • Analysis and Data
    • Business Specials
    • Opinion
    • Oil/Gas Reports
      • FAAC Reports
      • Revenue
  • Opinion
  • Health
    • COVID-19
    • News Reports
    • Special Reports and Investigations
    • Data and Infographics
    • Health Specials
    • Features and Interviews
    • Multimedia
    • Events
    • Primary Health Tracker
  • Agriculture
    • News Report
    • Special Reports/Investigations
    • Data and Infographics
    • Features and Interviews
    • Multimedia
  • Arts/Life
    • Arts/Books
    • Kannywood
    • Lifestyle
    • Music
    • Nollywood
    • Travel
  • Sports
    • Football
    • More Sports News
    • Sports Features
  • Projects
    • #EndSARS Dashboard
    • Parliament Watch
    • Panama Papers
    • Paradise Papers
    • AGAHRIN
  • #PandoraPapers
  • AUN-PT Data Hub
  • Home
  • Gender
  • News
    • Headline Stories
    • Top News
    • More News
    • Foreign
  • Investigations
  • Business
    • News Reports
    • Financial Inclusion
    • Analysis and Data
    • Business Specials
    • Opinion
    • Oil/Gas Reports
      • FAAC Reports
      • Revenue
  • Opinion
  • Health
    • COVID-19
    • News Reports
    • Special Reports and Investigations
    • Data and Infographics
    • Health Specials
    • Features and Interviews
    • Multimedia
    • Events
    • Primary Health Tracker
  • Agriculture
    • News Report
    • Special Reports/Investigations
    • Data and Infographics
    • Features and Interviews
    • Multimedia
  • Arts/Life
    • Arts/Books
    • Kannywood
    • Lifestyle
    • Music
    • Nollywood
    • Travel
  • Sports
    • Football
    • More Sports News
    • Sports Features
  • Projects
    • #EndSARS Dashboard
    • Parliament Watch
    • Panama Papers
    • Paradise Papers
    • AGAHRIN
  • #PandoraPapers
  • AUN-PT Data Hub
Premium Times Nigeria
BUA Group Ad BUA Group Ad BUA Group Ad
ADVERTISEMENT
Nurses, midvives, other health workers across Nigeria commence strike Wednesday

File photo of a protest by Nigerian health workers [Photo: Pulse.ng]

Nigeria health workers threaten ‘mega strike’

byEbuka Onyeji
March 14, 2018
3 min read

Nigeria’s entire health system will be paralysed this time if the federal government fails to meet the demands of health workers in 30 days, the Joint Health Sector Unions, JOHESU has said.

“This one is the mega strike. If it begins, it will start with the federal then states will join, the local governments will join. Let the health system in Nigeria be paralysed for the first time”, the National Vice Chairman of JOHESU, Ogbonna Chimela, said Wednesday in a phone interview with PREMIUM TIMES.

The members of JOHESU are hospital workers, apart from medical doctors and dentists.

JOHESU embarked on a nationwide strike last September to protest among other issues, salaries adjustments, promotion arrears, and improved work environment for its members.

In compliance with the declaration of an indefinite strike by JOHESU, the National Association of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives, NANNM directed its members to stay away from all federal health institutions across the country.

On the 9th day of the strike, JOHESU struck a deal with government.

According to JOHESU, six months after the deal was struck, the government is yet to meet any of its demands.

Mr. Chimela said series of meetings with the federal government to see these demands to fruition over the years were remained unfruitful.

“We can no longer sit and wait. We started this negotiation since 2009, in 2012 we had an agreement. In 2014 there was also an agreement. Instead of implementing ours, they implemented for medical practitioners and we have to wait again until 2017.

“Even before we called off the strike in September, we reached an agreement. All these meetings have been culminating in agreement without implementation of the so called agreements”, Mr. Chimela, who also doubles as the President of National Union of Allied Health Workers, NUAHP said.

The union official also said JOHESU had embarked on a sensitisation and mobilisation tour of the six geopolitical zones of the nation ahead of the expiration of the 30 days ultimatum.

1X Bet AD

“We are on sensitisation and mobilisation tour of the six geopolitical zones of the nation. Why we are doing this is to awaken the conscience of all citizens of this nation. Because we know that an ordinary or common Nigerian will not have the money to go for medical tourism and if we begin this strike, it’s the common man that will suffer and that is why we are giving this long gap to the government to really do the needful. However, strike is the only language that the government seems to understand,” he said.

Mr. Chimela said the union made 18 demands from the government which included upward salary adjustment.

He further accused the Nigerian Medical Association, NMA of frustrating efforts geared towards implementation of the demands.

The NMA had repeatedly declared its opposition to many of the demands made by JOHESU, describing them as unacceptable.

The NMA specifically opposed salary harmonisation, one of the important agreements government reached with JOHESU, and declared that the doctors cannot receive the same salary as other health workers.

“Who is NMA? Why should they decide our fate? They are very greedy and that is why we should not allow them to decide our fate,” the JOHESU union leader quipped.

“The NMA is just an association and not a union. Under the trade union law they are not even supposed to be recognised as a union but the Federal Government have being stooping law in order to please them because they have people in the policy making platform so they use that opportunity to lobby their way.

“They have negotiated for theirs then why should they try to decide the fate of other people whom government has also entered into agreement with,” he added.

Mr. Chimela also accused the health minister, Isaac Adewole, of being ”biased against the union”.

“Nepotism! That is what the minister of health is practicing and he’s dancing towards their (NMA) claims against that of the majority.

“The JOHESU family comprises 95 per cent of the work force in the health sector, NMA is just 5 per cent they are now using that opportunity of being at the helm of affairs to marginalise us but we can’t take that. Let the government intervene on this matter.”

Calls and text messages sent to the phones of both the health minister and ministry’s spokesperson, Boade Akinola, for a response to the allegations were not returned as at press time.

Advertisements



  • WhatsApp
  • Tweet
  • Email
  • Print
  • Telegram
  • More
  • Share on Tumblr
  • Pocket

CITIZEN-FM AD


Support PREMIUM TIMES' journalism of integrity and credibility

Good journalism costs a lot of money. Yet only good journalism can ensure the possibility of a good society, an accountable democracy, and a transparent government.

For continued free access to the best investigative journalism in the country we ask you to consider making a modest support to this noble endeavour.

By contributing to PREMIUM TIMES, you are helping to sustain a journalism of relevance and ensuring it remains free and available to all.

Donate



TEXT AD: To place an advert here . Call Willie - +2348098788999


JOIN THE CONVERSATION

  • Disqus (1)
premiumtimes





PT Mag Campaign AD

Previous Post

Nigerians tackle senator over ‘funny’ remark on sack of U.S Secretary of State

Next Post

Nigeria’s ranking improves on UN global happiness report

Ebuka Onyeji

Ebuka Onyeji

Ebuka Onyeji is a health reporter at PREMIUM TIMES. He also has a penchant for music and art. Ebuka holds a degree in Mass communication from Anambra State University.

More News

The compound of facility along Ikogosi road

Without consulting residents, lawmaker facilitates N115million ‘health centres’. Now they’re used by termites, bushes

May 18, 2022
Nnamdi Kanu

Court rejects Nnamdi Kanu’s bail application

May 18, 2022
Ebonyi State Map

Gunmen storm Ebonyi council chairman’s house, kill four

May 18, 2022
Ali Makoda, Kwankwaso and others

ANALYSIS: How NNPP became Kano’s main opposition party in three months

May 18, 2022
Plenary session of the House or Representatives [PHOTO CREDIT: @HouseNGR]

EXCLUSIVE: Former Speaker of the House of Reps arrested, detained

May 17, 2022
Students of the University of Ibadan during their ASUU protest today.

Strike: Again, soldiers attack protesting Nigerian students

May 17, 2022
Next Post
Magu, Ikpeazu, others join Nigerian Independence Parade in New York

Nigeria's ranking improves on UN global happiness report

Dr. Innocent Ifediaso Chukwuma, Chairman of Innoson Vehicle Manufacturing (IVM) Innoson Group. [Photo credit: YouTube]

Fraud charge: Innoson absent again as judge seeks time to respond to petition

Read All Comment

Search

AUN-PT Ad





Transport-Technology


Stanbic Ad


Access Bank Ad





Glo Ad


Subscribe to News via Email

Enter your email address and receive notifications of news by email.

Join 1,840,223 other subscribers.

Advertisement






netherland biz school Advert



Zenith Advert

ADVERTISEMENT

Our Digital Network

  • PT Hausa
  • Election Centre
  • Human Trafficking Investigation
  • Centre for Investigative Journalism
  • National Conference
  • Press Attack Tracker
  • PT Academy
  • Dubawa
  • LeaksNG
  • Campus Reporter

Resources

  • Oil & Gas Facts
  • List of Universities in Nigeria
  • LIST: Federal Unity Colleges in Nigeria
  • NYSC Orientation Camps in Nigeria
  • Nigeria’s Federal/States’ Budgets since 2005
  • Malabu Scandal Thread
  • World Cup 2018
  • Panama Papers Game
  • Our Digital Network
  • About Us
  • Resources
  • Projects
  • Data & Infographics
  • DONATE

All content is Copyrighted © 2020 The Premium Times, Nigeria

No Result
View All Result
  • #PandoraPapers
  • Gender
  • News
    • Headline Stories
    • Top News
    • More News
    • Foreign
  • Investigations
  • Business
    • News Reports
    • Financial Inclusion
    • Analysis and Data
    • Business Specials
    • Opinion
    • Oil/Gas Reports
      • FAAC Reports
      • Revenue
  • Health
    • COVID-19
    • News Reports
    • Investigations
    • Data and Infographics
    • Health Specials
    • Features
    • Events
    • Primary Health Tracker
  • Agriculture
    • News Report
    • Research & Innovation
    • Data & Infographics
    • Special Reports/Investigations
    • Investigations
    • Interviews
    • Multimedia
  • Arts/Life
    • Arts/Books
    • Kannywood
    • Lifestyle
    • Music
    • Nollywood
    • Travel
  • Sports
    • Football
    • More Sports News
    • Sports Features
  • #EndSARS Dashboard
  • Projects
    • Panama Papers
    • Paradise Papers
    • Parliament Watch
    • AGAHRIN
  • AUN-PT Data Hub
  • Opinion
  • The Membership Club
  • Dubawa
  • DONATE

All content is Copyrighted © 2020 The Premium Times, Nigeria

Our website uses cookies. By continuing to use this website you are giving consent to cookies being used. Visit our Privacy and Cookie Policy.
loading Cancel
Post was not sent - check your email addresses!
Email check failed, please try again
Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email.