Leadership of Health Workers Urge Members to Mobilize, Prepare for Nationwide Strike
The National President of Joint Health Sector Unions (JOHESU) Dr. Kabiru Minijibir
From Nabob Ogbonna, Abakaliki
The leadership of the Medical and Health Workers’ Union of Nigeria (MHWUN) has directed its members across the 36 states of the federation, including the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, to prepare for industrial action.
This warning comes in response to ongoing agitation by the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), which seeks to restrict the recently approved retirement age extension to clinical staff alone.
The National President of MHWUN, who also serves as President of the Joint Health Sector Unions (JOHESU) and Deputy National President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Dr. Kabiru Minijibir, made this known during the 47th Regular Meeting of the Tertiary Health Institutions National Consultative Forum.
The event took place at the Alex Ekwueme Federal University Teaching Hospital, Abakaliki, in Ebonyi State.
Dr. Minijibir, expressing deep concern, described the position of the NMA as unjust and divisive.
He stated that the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed with the Federal Government,following years of negotiation included an increase in the retirement age from 60 to 65 years for health workers and from 70 to 75 years for consultative staff.
According to him, “The Memorandum of Understanding was approved by the Federal Executive Council and returned to the Ministry of Health for implementation. Unfortunately, our professional colleagues have attempted to truncate a process we’ve been pursuing since 2014 by insisting the retirement age extension should apply only to clinical staff ignoring the fact that healthcare delivery is a team effort.”
“In our proposal, we did not exclude clinical staff. We also pushed for the inclusion of consultative staff in federal health institutions. A circular was duly issued by the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, and several tertiary institutions have already begun implementing it.
“Now the NMA is calling for a reversal. There is no justice in that. They have even issued a 21-day ultimatum to the Federal Government to overturn the signed MoU. We are sending a clear message through the Federal Ministry of Health that we will not take it lightly if any part of the MoU is tampered with,” Minijibir warned.
He stressed that the union has exercised patience and has continually urged its members to remain calm. However, he warned that they are now prepared to take action.
“A signed agreement is binding on both parties. You cannot shave someone’s head in his absence,” he remarked .
Dr. Minijibir emphasized that the final decision on the proposed industrial action would be taken at an emergency enlarged executive meeting scheduled to hold soon.
“We, not the NMA, signed that MoU. So, very soon, we will convene an emergency national expanded executive meeting of JOHESU to deliberate and decide on issuing an ultimatum to the Federal Government should it insist on altering any aspect of the agreement.”
“Whether or not the strike becomes indefinite will be determined at that meeting,” he added.
The theme of this year’s forum, “The Way Forward for Nigeria’s Healthcare System: Challenges and Opportunities—Tertiary Health Focus,” was delivered by Professor Oguguo Egwu, the Ebonyi State Chairman of the NLC.
