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  • Strike: 90% of our demands have no financial cost – NANNM

    Strike: 90% of our demands have no financial cost – NANNM

    The National Association of Nigerian Nurses and Midwives (NANNM) has disclosed that 90 per cent of its demands to the Federal Government carry no financial implications.

    Mrs Josephine Bassey, Chairman of the Cross River State chapter of NANNM, said this while reacting to the seven-day warning strike embarked upon by the association, which began on Wednesday, July 30.

    Speaking to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Thursday in Calabar, Bassey explained that most of the demands revolved around administrative issues such as implementing policy papers and enforcing court judgments.

    She added that another key demand was the gazetting of long-standing approvals by the National Council on Establishments.

     “Our demands include the gazetting of the nursing scheme of service approved since 2016 and the creation of a Department of Nursing in the Federal Ministry of Health.

    “Another key demand is the centralisation of internship for nursing graduates,” she said.

    She added that other demands include the review of provisional allowances for nurses and midwives, as well as the appointment of nurses to the boards of federal and state health institutions.

    She also stressed the urgent need for the employment of more nurses due to severe staffing shortages.

    Bassey noted that compliance with the strike directive was total, with 100 per cent participation recorded on the first day.

    Read Also: Japa syndrome: NANNM raises alarm as 15,500 nurses flee Nigeria

    “We started as early as 7:30 a.m. to monitor all health facilities across the state to ensure full compliance,” she said.

    According to her, any nurse found violating the strike directive would have been forced out of work and sanctioned at the national level.

    “Nurses make up about 60 to 65 per cent of the healthcare workforce.

    “If the government truly appreciates the critical role we play in healthcare delivery, it should address our demands promptly,” she stated.

    She acknowledged the impact of the strike on patients but urged the public to speak up in support of nurses.

    “We feel the pain of the patients, but we also urge them to cry out on our behalf to well-meaning Nigerians and the government, so our concerns can be addressed,” she said.

    Bassey added that nurses would immediately return to work once their demands were met.

    (NAN)

  • Nurses’ strike halts services at Abuja government hospitals

    Nurses’ strike halts services at Abuja government hospitals

    Patients groan as nurses in government hospitals across Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), withdraw their services to press home their demands, as the nationwide seven-day warning strike by the National Association of Nigerian Nurses and Midwives (NANNM) enters its second day.

    The union had earlier, on July 14, 2025, issued a 15-day ultimatum to the Federal Government, demanding immediate intervention to avert a total healthcare shutdown.

    Recall that key demands of the nurses are the upward review of shift allowance, adjustment of uniform allowance, creation of a separate salary structure for nurses, increase in core duty allowance, mass employment of nurses, and the establishment of a nursing department within the Federal Ministry of Health, among others.

    The nurses maintained that the ongoing warning strike is necessary to press home these demands.

    Some patients expressed frustration over the situation.

    A visit to the General Hospital in Kubwa has revealed the impact of the ongoing nationwide strike by nurses and midwives, as critical services at the government-owned facility remain either skeletal or completely halted.

    The usually bustling hospital bore a deserted look, with many wards left unattended and patients discharged prematurely due to the unavailability of essential nursing staff.

    In the Emergency Male Ward, the toll of the industrial action was immediately visible as the male ward stood empty, devoid of patients.

    “There are no nurses to attend to the patients. We had to discharge all of them. We will only attend to emergency cases that don’t require admission. If they’re admitted, there’s simply no one to care for them,” a medical doctor who pleaded anonymity told The Nation.

    In the Pediatric Ward, the situation was just as dire. Dozens of children and their parents sat on the benches, with some observing, standing and waiting their turns.

    A doctor who rushed out of the ward but declined to be named admitted, “We’re overwhelmed. Without the nurses, our capacity is extremely limited. We can only offer basic care; beyond that, our hands are tied.”

    Many of the weary parents whose faces reflected a mix of anxiety and helplessness refused to leave the hospital despite the slow pace of being attended to by the medical doctors

    “It’s only the doctors who are attending to the children. As you can see, the pace is painfully slow, since they don’t have nurses to assist them.

    “The government should please listen to these nurses and their demands. This situation clearly shows that even the doctors can effectively function without the nurses.

    “Besides caring for the patients after the doctor’s examinations and prescriptions, who will cater to the admitted patients?

    “Taking vital signs of the new patients and other basic things like that, would the doctors do that for everyone before they start to get overwhelmed?

    “Government should please listen to the nurses because not everyone has the resources to go to private hospitals,” a concerned mother complained.

    At the Record Office, patients were seen collecting their cards as usual, despite the absence of nurses.

    Some were there for antenatal checkups, others for routine cases, but all shared the same frustration considering the longer wait times and limited care.

    The Radiology Department appeared to be functioning with minimal disruption, while the Laboratory remained fully operational, offering a rare semblance of normalcy.

    However, services at the Labour Theatre were severely reduced.

    Staff reported that the last patient was discharged by a doctor earlier in the day. The wards were empty.

    “This is the best time for me to get my hair done. “There’s nothing else to do; I don’t like being idle, but nobody is attending to us.”

    A medical doctor attached to the ward was overheard telling a friend how she had been overworked the previous day, having to perform tasks typically handled by nurses due to their absence.

    At the Eye Clinic, the absence of nurses was deeply felt.

    “We’re struggling. It’s hard to run smoothly without the nurses; they are crucial to the flow of patients and post-examination care,” said a technician.

    In contrast, the Special Clinic was largely unaffected, with consultations continuing as usual.

    At the Dental Clinic, staff confirmed that the absence of nurses had not significantly disrupted services.

    Meanwhile, private hospitals in the town reported no significant change in patient volume.

    At one private facility, a staff member told our correspondent that operations were running normally.

    “We haven’t noticed any appreciable influx of patients. Our facilities are not overstretched. If the strike drags on, the situation might change, but for now, we’re managing just fine.”

    Read Also: World brain tumor day: Advocates urge brain health government funding intervention

    Despite this calm front, many private practitioners acknowledged the possibility of increased pressure if the strike is prolonged, particularly in emergency and maternity services.

    It was the same situation at the National Hospital and the Federal Medical Centre, Abuja, where slow medical services were observed as patients waited for hours to be attended to.

    Long queues were observed at the General Out-Patient Department, Immunisation Section, Consultation Section, and Surgical Out-Patient Department.

    “The staff here are attending to us, but the long wait is frustrating, and I still need to go to the office,” a tired patient at the hospital said.

    It is, however, gathered that the Union and the government have begun a roundtable discussion to review the situation to resolve the impasse as soon as practicable.

  • Japa syndrome: NANNM raises alarm as 15,500 nurses flee Nigeria

    Japa syndrome: NANNM raises alarm as 15,500 nurses flee Nigeria

    The National Association of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives (NANNM) has called on the federal government to shift focus from expanding nursing education to addressing the systemic issues driving the mass emigration of nurses, popularly known as the Japa syndrome.  

    The association expressed concern over persistent challenges, noting that as of February 2025, nearly 15,500 nurses had left the country in the previous year.

    It emphasised that increasing nursing student intake without employment plans and structural reforms may worsen the problem.  

    The union highlighted several structural issues that need government attention, including the creation of a conducive working environment, equipping health facilities, improving welfare through better remuneration, implementing the Scheme of Service, and centralizing nurse internships, among others.

    Speaking on Thursday at the National Executive Council (NEC) meeting of the association, in Abuja, the President, Comrade Haruna Mamman, highlighted the deteriorating shortage of manpower in the sector, calling for the need to engage national and sub-national governments and stakeholders to boost employment and morale among nurses. 

    Raising concerns over the persistence of quackery in healthcare, he implored State Nursing and Midwifery Councils (NMCs) to be reactivated and empowered in collaboration with stakeholders. 

    In response to the Federal government’s measures to curb the mass migration of health professionals, such as increased student admissions in tertiary institutions, the establishment of centers of excellence, and the upgrading of Primary Health Centers, NANNM General Secretary Thomas Shettima said simply increasing the production of health personnel is not the solution.

    “When people are trained but not employed, they remain in society with medical knowledge, often forced to practice unofficially to survive. This poses a danger to public health,” he said.

    Shettima attributed the ongoing exodus to poor working conditions, unreviewed allowances, and an overall lack of investment in the profession. 

    “Many of our allowances haven’t been reviewed in over 30 years. Professionals leave not out of choice, but necessity,” he said.  

    Rather than establishing more nursing schools, NANNM urged government engagement with relevant professional bodies to address core issues. 

    “Opening 1,000 schools of nursing in every state won’t stop the exodus. Improving the healthcare system and working conditions will,” he said.

    According to him, the continued delay in implementing the nurses’ Scheme of Service that was approved by the National Council of Establishment since 2016 remains a deeply contentious and unresolved issue.

    “It’s one of the key issues we are actively discussing with the Minister of Health and the Head of Civil Service,” Shetima added.  

    The association stressed the need to urgently address upward review and payment of professional core allowances, address the non-implementation of an industrial court judgment and the centralization of internship placements for newly graduated nurses.

    The association also cautioned that the unchecked expansion of nursing schools could undermine training quality and professional standards.

    Samuel Adeyemi, Chairman of the Oyo State Council of NANNM, emphasized that persistent inequality and injustice within the health sector continue to erode morale, serving as a major driving force behind the growing emigration of nurses seeking better working conditions abroad.

    He noted that among all health professionals, nurses remain the only group without a distinct salary structure, with many critical allowances either denied or grossly inadequate. 

    He added that the issue of the retirement age for nurses also appears to receive little attention from the government.

    “As nurses, we have been battered for too long. We care for lives even when the government fails us. Our shift duty allowance has remained unchanged for 40 years. 

    “We get 1.7% of our basic salary for call duty, while pharmacists get 2% and doctors 4%. That inequality is glaring.”  

    The harsh working conditions under which we operate is unimaginable. It is no longer strange to see nurses often working without essential tools or equipment. 

    “We improvise with plastic where metal is required. We boil instruments when sterilizers are unavailable. It’s demoralizing,” he said.  

    He cited the COVID-19 pandemic as an example of neglect, noting, “Thousands of nurses died because we lacked protective gear. Still, we were on the front lines.  

    “Inadequate hazard allowances and poorly managed rural postings are fueling dissatisfaction. We’re sent to remote areas with no support or allowances. Some die in silence,” he added.  

    On education, Adeyemi warned against proliferation without regulation. “Too many schools chasing too few resources will lead to inflation, not improvement. We need quality, not just numbers.”  

    Regarding structural inequality within the health system, Adeyemi urged the authorities not to turn a deaf ear to the issue, saying, “We studied in the same universities as doctors and took the same courses. Yet doctors dominate policy-making positions while nurses are sidelined.

    “Nigerian nurses are not merely asking for better pay, we are demanding respect, equitable treatment, and reforms that will allow them to serve the country effectively. 

    Read Also: Nigeria shares strategies to tackle Japa syndrome with Africa’s medical regulators 

    “We are passionate about our work,” said Adeyemi. “But the government must do the needful.”

    Comrade Joseph Ijaida, National Auditor 2 of NANNM, urged the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria (NMCN) to maintain consistency in its policies, stressing that frequent changes and policy reversals are discouraging to practitioners.

    For instance, he cited a 2017 circular that mandated all nursing schools transition to university-based programs by December 2023

    “In 2017, the NMCN issued a circular requiring nursing schools to transition to a collegiate system by 2023 or face halting student admissions. 

    “However, another circular in 2023 allowed schools to continue admitting students, undermining the original directive. 

    “This inconsistency hampers our push for a unified point of entry where all nurses graduate with a Bachelor of Nursing degree and enter the civil service at grade level 10. 

    “We seek to streamline the system and urge the NMCN to uphold its policies. As an association, we are ready to support this effort,” he noted.

  • Ondo School of Nursing now degree awarding institution

    Health workers under the umbrella of the National Association of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives, (NANNM) in Ondo State are happy with the State government for its decision to upgrade the School of Nursing and Midwifery, Akure to a degree awarding institution in line with global standard.

    The State Executive Council(SEC) led by Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu had this week after its meeting approved the absorption of the Nursing School by the University of Medical Science, Ondo (UNIMED) into a degree awarding institution.

    The State Chairman of the NANNM, Abel Opeyemi-Oloniyo said the decision of the government would boost the working capacity of nurses and midwives in the state.

    Comrade Oloniyo explained that the state government would become first state in Nigeria to carry oiut upgrading of its School of Nursing.

    Besides,he described as timely a proposed law aimed at upgrading the School of Health Technology in Akure to a College of Health Technology in line with global standard.

    Oloniyo said, “the upgrading of our school of Nursing is a welcome development, we were carried along from day one that government plans to ensure higher status for the school. Schools of Nursing across Nigeria have been given few years, to upgrade their status, we are happy Ondo state is taking a lead in this area, we are going to be the first state in the country to do this”.

    On the recent security breach by patients of the state Psychiatric Hospital, Akure, the NANNM Chairman reiterated his call on the state government to improve security of health workers and patients for adequate service delivery.

    Speaking on this year’s theme, “Nurses: a voice to lead health is a human right”, a don, Prof Adenike Olaogun described nurses and midwives as most critical personnel in the health care delivery hence the need to ensure their regular training.

    The state Commissioner for health, Dr. Wahab Adegbenro said the state government was working hard to improve welfare of nurses and other medical workers especially in the areas of capacity building and security at hospitals.

    Head of Service(HoS) in the state,Toyin Akinkuotu charged nurses to be more proactive in implementing various state government’s policies in the health sector particularly the introduction of free health care service for pregnant women and children below five year old.

  • LUTH workers protest as JOHESU begins strike

    LUTH workers protest as JOHESU begins strike

    Health workers at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH) on Thursday staged a peaceful protest at the commencement of the nationwide strike embarked upon by the Joint Health Sector Union (JOHESU).

    The union, whose membership included other hospital workers apart from doctors, were demanding payment of their promotion and salary arrears as well as teaching and uniform allowances, among others.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that four affiliate unions of JOHESU participated in the peaceful protest at the Idi Araba premises of LUTH.

    These were the National Association of Nigerian Nurses and Midwives (NANNM), Nigeria Union of Allied Health Professionals (NUAHP) participated in the protest, Medical and Health Workers’ Union(MHWUN) and Senior Staff Association of Universities, Teaching Hospitals, Research Institutes and Associated Institutions (SSAUTHRIAI).

    Mr Kehinde Adegoke, Lagos State Coordinator of JOHESU, said that the indefinite strike became necessary following Federal Government’s failure to meet the union’s demands after a seven-day ultimatum.

    Related: LUTH, LASUTH open for patients

    “The Federal Ministry of Health has been frustrating the implementation of the court’s judgement by introducing same scale promotion.

    “As we speak, the federal government has not paid arrears of the skipping salaries to our members.

    “We expect government to attend to every issue raised in the health sector and not separate one association from another.

    “It is unfortunate because we really feel for the patients but there is nothing we can do because our members can no longer exercise patience, “he said.

    Chairman of LUTH Chapter of JOHESU, Mr Johnson Shaba, said that efforts made through several committees to get the federal government to implement the agreements reached were been frustrated.

    “We have tried our best to make sure that government answers us and honour all the agreements that had been on the ground since 2012.

    “Doctors are now the one enjoying our struggles on skipping allowance and we were the ones who went to court to fight for it

    “We are saying `enough is enough’ because everybody is important in the health sector,” Shaba said.

    Also, LUTH Chapter Chairman, NUAHP, Mr Adegoke Akinfeleye, said that all health professionals deserved equal rights and service condition for stability.

    “We sued the federal government to court for skipping of levels, appointment of consultants from other health professionals and professional autonomy, “he said.

    LUTH Chapter Chairperson of NANNM, Mrs Yemisi Adelaja, said that the strike was to draw Federal Government’s attention to the plight of workers in the health sector.

    “We are fighting for our rights because federal government refused to meet our demands since 2012.

    “The threat of `no work no pay’ can never scare us because we are not cowards and it is a national strike and not individual association’s strike

    “Other associations went on strike and nobody threatened them,” Adelaja said.

    NAN reports that among other JOHESU demands were payment of skipping arrears and review of the CONHESS table and elongation to accommodate CONHESS 16.

    When Contacted, LUTH Public Relations Officer, Mr Kelechi Otunme, said that the management of the institution was yet to react to the protest.

  • LUTH workers demand improved condition of service

    LUTH workers demand improved condition of service

    Workers belonging to all labour unions in Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), Idi-Araba, on Wednesday staged a one-day peaceful protest demanding for improved condition of service and tools.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the workers are asking the management of the hospital to address their promotion arrears, shortage of staff and other rights.

    The workers said the protest followed a directive from all their national bodies in Abuja to resolve the challenges LUTH facing the hospital.

    The protest was led by the all the unions leaders, including the National Association of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives (NANNM) and Association of Resident Doctors (ARD).

    Others are the Medical and Health Workers’ Union, Joint Health Sector Unions (JOHESU) and Senior Staff Association of Universities, Teaching Hospitals, Research Institutes and Associated Institutions (SSAUTHRIAI).

    However, the LUTH management ordered security officials to lock all conference rooms and closely monitor the protest.

    The aggrieved workers were also seen singing and carrying placards around the premises peacefully.

    Some of the placards read: “Federal Ministry of Health pay us our teaching allowance’’; “Stop stagnation’’; “Nurses are professionals that should be respected and not treated as slaves’’.

    “Is LUTH truly a public hospital?”; “Pay our withheld salaries and allowances”; “Provide conducive working environment”, and “Put a stop to scale to scale promotion”.

    Mrs Yemisi Adelaja, (NANNM) Chairman, LUTH chapter, told newsmen in Lagos that the protest was to draw Federal Government attention to the plight and suffering of all LUTH workers.

    She said that all the unions in LUTH decided to hold a joint meeting and protest to be able to “speak with one voice and let the whole world know our challenges’’.

    According to Adelaja, the deteriorating state of infrastructure and non-availability of adequate medical consumables are situations that have progressively gone worse in recent times.

    She listed some of their demands to include discriminatory and selective implementation of policies by the federal ministry of health on career progression for nurses and midwives.

    “Most of our health institutions today operate a nurse-patient ratio of one to 15 as against the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) recommendation of one to four.

    “Inadequate manpower and dearth of highly skilled nurse specialists has greatly affected our clinical outputs and nurses’ health.

    “If the workload is on the workers, it will definitely affect the patient’s health, because most times this affects the attitude of nurses due to pressure,” Adelaja said.

    Also speaking, Dr Adebayo Sekunmade, LUTH ARD President, noted that all the unions had realised that individual unions could not solve the challenges facing LUTH.

    Sekunmade said that all LUTH workers decided to come together to discuss and find solutions to all the challenges in the hospital.

    “We regretted that the system lacked the needed tools to work with, thereby posing serious challenges to health workers.

    “Some of the challenges which includes inadequate of supply of consumables, exposure of staff to unnecessary hazard, unrealistic programmes that benefits just few patients instead of generality of patients.

    “Rubbishing specialties, denying patient proper access to their doctors, shortage of manpower, poor filing system making the job stressful for staff and time wasting for patients.

    “One of the patient’s relative beat up and harassed a medical doctor and nurse last week due to lack of workers security in the hospital,” Sekunmade said.

    On his part, Mr Adedokun Shaba, the Chairman of JOHESU and SSAUTHRIAI, appealed to the federal government to investigate their allegations with a view to addressing the challenges in the hospital.

    Shaba said that all pleas and meetings with the management of LUTH in the past were yet to yield any positive fruit.

    “The management says that all the revenue they generate in the hospital cannot pay workers allowances.

    “We are here to dialogue within ourselves, fight for our right as LUTH workers.

    “We experience nonchalant attitude of LUTH management towards staff welfare, especially in terms of hazard and exposure of staff to patient’s assault.

    “Patients get frustrated because of the hospital bureaucracy affecting the LUTH workers,” Shaba said.

    He identified lack of ambulance, inadequate supply of reagents, functional medical machines and use of torch light and lamps at night.

    “We need to restore the excellence of LUTH, the hospital must not die because it is a tertiary hospital,” Shaba said.

    The management of the institution was yet to react to the development.

    Efforts to get management reaction by NAN also failed as security operatives barricaded the entrance of the Chief Medical Director’s office.

    The securitymen, including police and civil defence, told newsmen that they were acting on management directive to bar journalists from accessing the main administrative building.

  • Nurses demand forensic probe of health ministry

    Nurses demand forensic probe of health ministry

    The National Association of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives (NANNM) has urged the Federal Government to conduct a forensic probe on the Federal Ministry of Health and its parastatal agencies.

    Mr Wale Olatunde, the association’s President of federal health institutions chapter, made the appeal on Thursday in Abuja during a peaceful protest by members demanding for improved condition of service in the Federal Ministry of Health.

    Members of the association were drawn from 66 Federal health institutions with 66 hospitals.

    The institutions comprised all federal teaching hospitals, federal medical centres and federal specialist hospitals.

    Olatunde listed his members’ grievances to include inadequate manpower, non-payment of promotion arrears, uniform allowance for upward of seven years and the dearth of highly skilled nurse specialists.

    He said discriminatory and selective implementation of government policies by the ministry on career progression for nurses and midwives, among others, was also a grievance.

    “All these complaints amount to my members being denied their rights. We, as an association have explored all legal means of addressing the situation.

    “In fact, judgment was passed in our favour, however, the authorities in the sector refused to obey the court judgment.

    “This is tantamount to putting the nation’s health system in jeopardy,’’ the NANNM president said.

    He decried the deteriorating state of infrastructure, functional equipment and non-availability of adequate medical consumables, among others, in the sector.

    According to him, these problems are as a result of corrupt practices by some top officials in the sector.

    Olatunde stressed that the forensic review should focus on how the budgetary allocations and internally generated revenue of the ministry and its agencies were expended.

    “Year in, year out the parastatal agencies as well as the ministry, keep demanding for review of allocation. A large chunk of the allocation is used for selfish gains by some few individual against its intent,’’ he alleged.

    Olatunde regretted that some foreign donor agencies had withdrawn from the country due to corrupt practices.

    He alleged further that the country’s health sector could not account for donor agencies investment in the sector.

    “A ministry that can harbour a fake doctor for over eight years and who incidentally was a leading figure in the fight against Ebola and other haemorrhagic fevers calls for a forensic review of its activities.

    “This country has the potentialities to be a centre of medical tourism if its human and financial resources are judiciously managed.

    “The basic things that we need like nurses and other healthcare professionals are not available, yet they keep on demanding for money all the time.

    “The country’s consistent unenviable position in all health indices is as a result of the activities of these individuals or cabals.

    “The most recent evaluation is the country ranking of 187 out of 191 countries in health indices in spite of the huge financial resources available for healthcare delivery,’’ he said.

    NAN also reports that similar peaceful protests were recorded across the country within the week by members of the association.

    Meanwhile, the federal ministry of health is yet to react to the development.

  • A psychiatric hospital’s search for peace

    For peace to reign at the Federal Neuro-Psychiatric Hospital, Uselu in Benin City, the Edo State capital, heads have rolled. Will this now guarantee the peace that has eluded it since 2012? Osagie Otabor reports that all seems well now

    SUnday Olotu, the Medical Director of the Federal Neuro-Psychiatric Hospital, Uselu in Benin City, the Edo State capital, can now sleep with both eyes closed. At least for now. His supposed ‘enemies’ within the hospital cadres have been kicked out.

    The hospital has known no peace since 2012 when Olotu was appointed Medical Director. Some of the hospital’s employees who felt that the most senior officer in the hospital should have been made MD put up a fight against Olotu.

    Moments after news of his appointment was leaked, the workers embarked on a three days warning strike to press the Federal Government to rescind its decision. Leaders of the workers union then said the appointment did not follow due process.

    At a joint press conference by the former chairman of Senior Staff Association (SSA), Kennedy Oriakhi, chairman, National Association of Nigerian Nurses and Midwives (NANNM), Clement Ogbezuode, Medical and Health Workers Union of Nigeria (MHWUN), Nosa Osatohanmwen, they said interview for the position “was tainted with massive fraud”.

    They had alleged then that a special promotion interview was conducted for Olotu few minutes before the interview for the post of an MD.

    Olotu resumed duty but the workers who felt former Acting Medical Director, Dr. Charles Ikeji, should be confirmed as the substantive head of the hospital, put up a fight.

    The petitions forwarded to former Minister of Health, Prof. Onyebuchi Chukwu were much that the minister on a working visit to the hospital said the medical centre was not a designation for politicking.

    Prof. Chukwu warned workers of the hospital against raising unfounded allegations against Dr. Olotu and said Dr. Olotu was qualified for the job.

    He said: “There’s no gain when workers are on rampage or instigate media reports. I therefore implore trouble makers who want to play politics to resign because I will not tolerate such in a work place.

    “But if you have genuine petitions, be bold enough to put your name; and I assure you that the petitions would be looked into”, he added.

    Last month, four of the employees opposing Dr. Olotu’s appointment were sacked. The four affected employees were Mr. O.J Ugiagbe-Ogbeide, Theophilus Osifo, Dr. Ambrose Lawani and Pharmacist Kennedy Oriakhi. Two others including the former Acting MD, Dr. Ikeji and Mrs. O.U Morgan were placed on suspension.

    Trouble started for the affected staff when they were allegedly caught attempting to steal an official file belonging to a co-worker, Mrs. Taiwo Ifueko Agho, a former staff of the Edo State Primary Education Board who transferred her services to the Federal Neuro-Psychiatric hospital.

    They were alleged to have given N2000 to one Sunday Adeche to help steal Mrs. Agho’s file and a driver to Dr. Ikeji, Onero Akerele was arrested at the scene of transaction after a tipped-off.

    Three days later, the hospital management pasted photographs of the affected staff around the hospital premises announcing their dismissal and suspension but the action did not go down well with the affected staff.

    Some of the affected employeesd a peaceful protest to the hospital and sealed up the premises. It took the intervention of policemen from Okhoro division before the hospital gates were opened. They were arrested, handcuffed and taken to the police station.

    Orhiakhi, one of the protesters said: “Management has been maltreating us. We only came here to demand why our names were removed without any letter and they beat us up.

    “We were kept at home for five months illegally without pay. I have never seen this kind of thing before. Those of us that came here were beaten up. We don’t know if it is a crime to ask for our money.”

    Dr. Ambrose who denied attempting to steal file said he was being victimised to be eased out of service.

    He urged the Ministry of Health and Federal Civil Service Commission to take necessary steps to redress all acts of injustice meted out on imaginary enemies of Dr. Olotu.

    Explaining why the staff were sacked and suspended, Chairman of the hospital management board, Dr. Abieyuwa Osemwenkha, traced the problems to the appointment of the Dr. Olotu as the hospital’s MD.

    According to her, “Some staff believe that appointment should be based on seniority and I made them understand that in the Civil Service, there is nothing like seniority in the appointment of MD. It is strictly a political appointment. All you need to qualify for MD is to have post five years of the field you belong to. You must be a consultant. You must be a psychiatrist.

    “The current MD came first, then acting MD came second. The President appointed who took first and that did not go down well with some staff who believe that the oldest person should be made the MD. The interview was done with guidelines from the Ministry of Health. These same individuals went to court and the court threw the case out.

    “We appeal to them and had meetings for them to sheath their sword. The cause of this recent incident was that a staff here transferred her services from the state to the federal. When you do a transfer of services, you merge your services and when you are due for promotion, you are promoted. She went for promotion interview and passed. These persons went to her former place of work and wanted to get her document. They paid money to a staff there and the persons they paid informed the woman.”

    Olotu said it took him six months to realise that the actions taken against his emergence were distractions.

    He said: “I decided to jettison all those side issues and focus on the mandate of Mr. President. I still see them as distractions. The extant rules of civil service has taken care of those distractions.

    “The dismissed staff remained dismissed and those suspended remained suspended until investigation is concluded. They had criminal charges preferred against them by the Nigeria police. They have been charged to court for falsification, threat to life and attempting to steal official document of a worker from where she was transferred from. It is a serious offence to be charged to court under the Public Service Regulations.

    “Talking about the past really doesn’t help, so the focus of my administration and management team is to move this hospital forward. I have been in this institution since June 1994. I started my training here and I finished my training here. I have been working as a Consultant for the past 12 years.”

  • Nurses, midwives protest

    The National Association of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives (NANNM) protested yesterday in Abuja against the Nursing Midwifery Council of Nigeria.

    NANNM members marched on the secretariat of the nursing council, carrying placards.

    They accused the council of discrimination against members, a situation they alleged had been on for over 30 years.

    The nurses, who said they had taken the issue to the Federal Government, vowed to take unpleasant decision should the government fail to resolve the alleged discrimination and neglect.

     

  • Health workers give Akpabio seven-day ultimatum

    Health workers give Akpabio seven-day ultimatum

    The Joint Health Sector Unions in Akwa Ibom State yesterday issued a seven-day ultimatum to the state government to address the non- implementation of the Federal Government-approved Consolidated Health Salary Structure (CONHESS) or face strike.

    In a letter by the state chairman of the National Association ofNigeria Nurses and Midwives (NANNM) and six others, addressed to Governor Godswill Akpabio through the Head of Service, the workers said all the health workers except those in Akwa Ibom have enjoyed CONHESS as approved by the Federal Government.

    The letter reads: “You will recall that health workers in Akwa

    Ibom State have over three years watched with keen interest, the refusal by the government to adopt and implement CONHESS, which has since been enjoyed by health workers in all states except those in Akwa Ibom.

    “We have observed that Akwa Ibom State government under the leadership of Governor Akpabio has refused to discuss the issues raised by the health workers, especially as it concerns the implementation of the Federal Government-approved CONHESS.

    “We are giving government seven days ultimatum. At the end, if nothing is done, we would have no option than to resume the suspended strike.”