By James Orji
The Director General of the All Progressives Congress, APC Governors Forum, Salihu Lukman has descended on two ministers in President Muhammadu Buhari’s government, Chris Ngige (Labour) and Osagie Ehanire (Health) for not being ‘creative’ in the manner they have so far handled the ongoing strike by the National Association of Resident Doctors, NARD.
The doctors working in public hospitals have, last week, embarked on the strike following disagreement with the government over their salaries and allowances.
Ngige has threatened to sack the doctors if they refused to go back to work, even as the striking doctors insisted that their demands must be met. The stalemate has led to untold sufferings by hospital patients and their families who are now seeking alternative health care in expensive private hospitals across the country.
Lukman said the two ministers must take the blame for not being proactive to stop the doctors from down tooling.
According to a statement he issued on Sunday, Lukman said “It is quite frustrating, when political appointees, such as Ministers of Labour and Health are unable to proactively pre-empt strikes of health workers in the country. As loyal members of APC, being the governing party, we must appeal to our Ministers of Labour and Health to wake up to their responsibility and end this political embarrassment coming with huge cost to lives to citizens.
“It is scandalous that the agitation by the leaders of NARD is not about qualitatively reviewing those conditions that goes beyond cheap naira and kobo negotiations.”
“Eventually, no doubt, everything comes down to naira and kobo. But there are provisions with very high monetary value, which may not cost a dime to the government.
“Also, assuming state governments can facilitate financing arrangements with banks to NARD and other organisations of health workers for their members with valid Certificate of Occupancy to build personal accommodations. There are so many non-monetary incentives, which have very high monetary value to the beneficiaries that can be arranged.
“Sadly, both governments and leaders of workers organisations in these essential service sectors are locked in the limited negotiations of monetary awards, which at best whittled down the profile of a very special category of an important sector such as health, which is required to provide uninterrupted services dearly needed by all citizens for our survival and wellbeing.”
Meanwhile, President Muhammadu Buhari has approved a land allocation for the building of a special clinic in Aso Rock, Presidential Villa, Abuja. The president who traveled to the United Kingdom, UK for medical treatment, two weeks ago has yet to return.
