Medical Practitioners Strike: Johesu On The Way
To Calvary, But Who Wants Fejiro Oliver Dead?
… My Interview With Dr Felix Faniran (Nuptam
National Chairman)
Because we have suffered, and we are not afraid
to suffer in order to survive, we are ready to
give up everything; even our lives in our struggle
for justice
Cesar Chavez
FEJIRO OLIVER
I owe no one apology for being a journalist/
activist and like the young doctors of medicine
who have responded that anyone who wants to
read medicine should go and buy JAMB form;
today I say to them also to go and buy JAMB
form and apply for journalism. Tell me that
anyone can be a journalist and we in the
profession will tell you that is a fat lie. We were
not influenced as kids just the way the
stethoscope attracted you, rather we chose this
reporting life; hence we remain simple and
modest. Yes, to these untrained physicians (with
exception to the older and sincere ones) who say
that the Nurses, Medical Lab Scientist and
Radiographers have paid me to set the nation on
fire; I also say to you: get a journalist and pay
him #150 million Naira to do similar report.
Should you get confused on whom to hire, I will
recommend my good colleague, Rudolf Okonkwo
to you, but be prepared to cough out dollars.
When has it become a mortal sin to stand on
the side of truth simply because a few group of
individuals who fear that their ‘position’ is been
threatened? They cry to high heaven that Fejiro
Oliver is pulling the country down with his
reports, as if I’m the corrupt politician looting
the country silly.
How are the mighty fallen, how are the sacred
desecrated; this seem to be the lots of the
doctors of medicine who are aggrieved that the
mask surrounding them has been unmasked, the
mystery behind their insignificant work
demystified and thus Fejiro Oliver head must
pay for it. Truth be told and the game of
fairness played. This is not the doctors of
medicine we used to know, and just as a Medical
Director of the NMA extraction called to express
his view “Fejiro, I must acknowledge your most
unbiased stand in this issue. You may have hurt
my medical colleagues but I can authoritatively
tell you that this is not the true way that the
health system is practiced. It is teamwork with
each medical officer dependent on each other.
NMA has become a political tool and we of the
progressive truly apologize for their misdeed”.
We have shifted attention from Suntai Danbaba
return from the USA, with the media agog of the
medical strike. A medical doctor who called
summarized it, “Oliver, you and your JOHESU
cohorts have rendered the news of Taraba State
governor return useless, rather all comments
were directed at the strike even broadcasted on
BBM. You may have succeeded in this battle, but
we will smoke you out”. Another fellow who
called very early in the morning thundered
brimstone that I have torn the country apart
with my report and he will personally fish me
out to deal with. Still yet followed numerous
messages that should I succeed in getting Mr.
Chukwu Onyebuchi removed as the Minister of
health, my days on earth are numbered as I will
go down with him.
Now, do I cower at threats of death, or do I
shiver at the sound of bullets pelted in my skull?
NO! Many Journalists have paid the supreme
price before now and if this strike will lead to
liberation and harmony in the health sector,
with me paying the price; so be it. But know you
this, you who have promised to smoke me out.
Fejiro Oliver needs no smoking out; your
colleagues see me every day as we go out for
games and clubs to hang out; they encourage
the work we at secretsreporters do, even this
one that we have removed the ‘shield’ from
them. They have our pictures with them, just as
they have our addresses. We gave out our phone
numbers and email addresses to enable us
interact, so feel free to carry out your threat.
However, we have forwarded your threats to the
committee for the protection of Journalists,
Reporters without border etc and they are aware
of all we do. Besides, there is a throne in heaven
that watches over the affairs of men. The throne
seats an incorruptible judge and that judge
watches over our lives and we shall he protect.
To you who have called proposing seminars and
youth leadership series and have Fejiro Oliver
speak, do know this: I do not reject the offers to
speak due to threat. No! I do so to focus on the
liberation mission ahead, the challenges that
comes with reporting. We do not report for
fame or to globe trot; we report to set straight
the records
That said, let the truth continue and the scales
that have long blinded patients’ eyes fall off.
With tears in my eyes I type, seeing dead bodies
dumped in the mortuary due to this strike, dead
bodies that would have been living, had the
pride of a profession not consume them. Just
few days that the nurses left the sick baby unit
(SBU), babies who would have been the savior of
the country has been sent to early graves. This
is the wickedness of man as portrayed by Mr.
Chukwu Onyebuchi. Have these doctors of
medicine now realize that these nurses run the
hospital and not them as they claim? Do they
not know that the nurses are the fathers and
mothers of the patient who truly do all the
work, yet get no recognition? Just like an
American doctor confesses, “doctors will see you
anywhere from 5 to 30 minutes a day,
depending on how sick you are, and the rest of
the day is the nurse. They are the ones making
sure you get your pills and checking that your
vital signs aren’t dropping. If you start vomiting,
doctors will run out of the room and the nurses
will rush in. they change your wound dressing
and dress your IV line, and clean disgusting
things off you even though you aren’t their only
patient. I learned that they are keys to be a
good doctor. You piss off the nursing staff and
you have a miserable career at that hospital.
They are as important as being a good doctor as
your medical degree, even more. If you come
out of the medical school with a chip on your
shoulder against nurses, you better lose it fast.
Because they will make or break your training,
and often know more than you do. Be nice and
they will teach you. A good neurology nurse is
often a better neurologist than doctors that I
have met. I don’t understand physicians who
adopt an adversarial relationship with nurses.
They are depriving themselves of an education in
hospital wisdom.
On a difficult day on call, sometimes all it takes
is a sympathetic nurse to temporarily add you to
his/her patient list, steal you a diet coke from
the fridge and let you cry on her/his shoulder
for five minutes. It doesn’t make the day any
less busy, but helps you absorb the punishment
later”.
That’s a true confession from a trained doctor in
a system that works. We could bring more or
haven’t you heard that a nurse is the health
minister in Botswana, a country who by WHO
standard rank better than Nigerian, which has
been ran underground by MBBS graduates? We
do not heat the polity nor wish to cause the
country to break up, but we want to break the
monopoly of a 12 percent professionals, who
according to one of them, become demi gods
the moment they go into specialization. Almost
all medical professions specialize, just as they
have knowledge of all branches of medicine;
what then is the crown of ego that rest on our
doctor of medicine head?
What do we say about the medical lab scientist
that can operate individually without help from
the doctors of medicine? Scientists who the
general body physicians despicably call lab
technologist to raise their ego. For the various
years I have fallen sick, I reiterate that I have
never needed the services of a physician, but I
have gone countless to have the lab scientist
carry out a test on me, nurses taken care of me,
doctor of optometry administer treatment to me
and the DPT brought me back to normalcy. I
have visited the pharmacist (who graduates as
doctors, Pharm D) to get them prescribe drugs
which have made me whole or is it the
radiologist that I have gone to for scan that I
need mention? All of them have I met without
referral by the general body physician. Is it the
case of NYSC that I went for years ago in the
North and I fell sick in camp, yet none of the
youth corp. physician could diagnose the case?
Travel wider, dear ‘doctor’ and know that in the
U.S, they have Doctor of Medical lab science
(D.MLS), and they manage the lab together with
pathologists in what is called Matrix
management. You call your colleagues who spent
years in school paramedics; pray, define who a
paramedic? Live and let’s live!
Let the speck fall off the masses eyes and let the
deceit stop. You accuse secretsreporters of not
medically grounded and thus report fiction.
Deny it that you do a course in physiotherapy
apart from your year one, which is if you ever
do at all. Lie to Nigerians that the doctors of
physiotherapists don’t get first hand contact
with patients. Spread the lies that
radiographers/radiologists who are exposed to
radiation and carry out ORIF on an orthopedic
patient snap only pictures and unable to read
what they film. Keep the falsehood on that
pharmacists who make the drugs your patients
use are just dispensers. Let your conscience
guide you as you pedal lies to the innocent
public. Tell us that the years they spent in
medical school was just to learn photography, (a
course we journalists studied in school), sell
drugs, take blood samples or just learnt how to
use infrared to relieve pains? Now that the
strike is on; Oh ye almighty doctors, do the job.
Care for the sick babies and patients that their
parents, the nurses have left under your care.
Carry out the pathology test that you claim to
know and snap the pictures you say the imaging
scientists do.
How long will this deception live that only MBBS
graduates should be CMD.? Do we tell it to the
world how OAUTH CMD made the hospital to be
sealed for not paying tax for six years, hence
owing #3 billion? Was it that the taxes were not
been deducted from salary? Obviously no,
rather it disappeared into thin air, a case of
mismanagement. The various ministers of health
in USA, France and numerous countries are not
MBBS practitioners, but a ministry where nurses
and other medical practitioners have headed.
Are we no longer copying the western world
again? Do we dance only the dance when it suits
our dance steps? The minister of health has
failed us and his sack is long overdue. The
president I know may not give a damn, but he
cares about the loss of lives. We know that he
feels the pain and Nigerians on bended knees
are pleading that you ask Onyebuchi to resign
honorably.
Secretsreporters has confirmed that the
Neuropsychiatric Hospital, Abeokuta has become
a ghost land
“The JOHESU strike embarked upon by health
workers to drive home their demands for equity
and fairness in the sector has left the
Neuropsychiatric Hospital, Aro, Abeokuta a
ghost town. Whereas, the NMA president and his
cronies have vowed and boasted to keep the
health sectors running even in the absence of
other health workers. However, only 2 days into
the strike, the usually bustling compound of the
hospital has been turned to a ghost town as
service areas were under lock and key and most
wards have been deserted. Rather than accept
their failure and inability to run a health system,
Chukwu’s cronies in the compound have been
employing various tactics ranging from
intimidation, cheap blackmail, threats and
confrontation. Even the police were invited but
they were handled with maturity and for the
first time in my life, the police did not allow
themselves to be used cheaply and dragged
unnecessarily into a purely labour dispute.
However, in their grandiose manner, these
general body physicians still carry their
shoulders high and passing various comments
aimed at dampening our spirits or intimidating
other health professionals. SOME OBNOXIOUS
COMMENTS BY SOME ARROGANT PHYSICIANS IN
ARO (Acting provost and chief medical director):
“I will not even discharge my patients; I will
only ask the stable patients to manage the
unstable ones’’ This implies that they recognize
that they can’t do it alone but rather than
accept the fact, they choose to utilize those who
are not trained to attend to clients. “Instead of
the paralysis of the hospital activities during
strikes, some hospital departments should be
outsourced e.g. Pharmacy, Laboratory e.t.c.” ‘’In
an abnormal situation like this, we don’t need to
lose our sanity, become irresponsible and
wicked’’ Implying that strike is an act of
wickedness on the patient, and does not matter
what happens to the other health professional.
(A week old consultant): “I only came like a
unionist in order to advice you. Once they
dangle carrot before your people, they will
come back to work”. Other health professionals
should be aware of how they are being
perceived by these arrogant physicians. A
message to those that might want to sabotage
the efforts. “Their activists should be
sacked” (Another very proud consultant): But
they must know that not even death can stop us
in this struggle. We are prepared to utilize the
last drop of blood in our veins to ensure that
fairness and justice is ensured. “Upon all these
illegality you are doing”. They think it is
illegality to demand for your rights, a right
which the industrial court has ruled should be
granted”
INTERVIEW WITH NUPTAM NATIONAL
CHAIRMAN, FELIX FANIRAN
Q1.Reasons for d strike:
The origin of this could be traced to 1985-1993
when late Prof. Olikoye Ransome-Kuti, a medical
practitioner and a leader of Nigerian Medical
Association was the Minister of Health under
Gen Ibrahim Babangida as Head of state. Olikoye
discriminated against non ‘medical practitioners’
in many ways, namely: wrong interpretation of d
phrase-”medically qualified “which he claimed
meant ‘Medical Practitioners’ instead of “Health
care Professionals’, the refusal to implement the
Industrial Arbitration Panel/National Industrial
Court ruling in favour of Nurses/Midwives on d
issues of recognizing Nurses as a profession,
creation of a directorate for them in the FMOH
since then, the approval of a separate salary
structure for Medical and Dental practitioners(M
SS/MSSS in 1991 with fat allowances ) to the
detriment of other professionals/workers.
Regrettably, subsequent Ministers of NMA
extraction-Profs Osotimehin and Onyebuchi
Chukwu have been trying to do same. The
current decision of JOHESU is to put an end to
these acts of neo-colonialism and
Professionalism which NMA and her members
backed by the Government through the Minister
of Health have subjected other Health
Professionals/workers to. Specifically, the
current impasse is based on: A 10-point demand
submitted to FMOH in Sept 2011- 4 issues
referred to NIC in June 2012(Skipping of salary
level CONHESS 10, Withdrawal of consultancy
status from non -NMA members, Non- payment
of Specialist allowance to allied health
professionals. Refusal to honour March 2006
ruling of NIC on call duty and other professional
allowances. Please note, agreement was reached
on the 10th of May 2012 on five other. Issues
viz; 1) promotion of health professionals from
CONHESS 14 to 15. (2),Call for implementation
of )2008 Job evaluation exercise, ( 3) The
Abdullahi Bello presidential committee report on
Harmony. (4)Upward review of retirement age as
their counter parts in d Universities. (5)
Reconstitution of Boards of Hospitals to reflect
the multi professional nature of d sector.
Finally, the 10th point is-the removal of d
Minister for discrimination.
Q2.On d issue of appeal: I am not aware if the
minister is honestly sincere about this .Labour
issues of this nature end at the National
Industrial Court. However if it is true, it means
the Minister does not want peace in the health
sector and Mr. President should do away with
him immediately. Please be informed that both
parties to the dispute-JOHESU/FMOH agreed
inter-alia in June 2012 that the outcome of d
NIC would be acceptable to us. Prof Chukwu is
following the footsteps of his seniors-Profs
Osotimehin and Ransome Kuti who connived
with NMA leaders to unleash terror on other
Health Professionals’/Workers by refusing to
implement relevant awards .Enough is enough!
Q3. On why JOHESU, not individual union.
JOHESU is for an improved health care delivery
nationwide: Each Union is autonomous and may
embark on strike independently after fulfilling
the approved rules but where all Unions have
common cause, JOHESU comes in to play that
role. In the case of NMA, it is not a registered
Trade Union; therefore, anytime it embarks on
strike, it does so illegally. Henceforth, any group
or association which is not legally registered as
a trade union and carries out trade union
activities would be dealt with accordingly.
Conglomeration/coalition of five registered
Trade/Industrial Unions was formed in 2008 to
promote unity, harmony and teamwork (end)
My dear President, hearken to the voice of
reason. Do we give you the full profile of your
minister how and why he was removed as
Medical Director of Ebonyi State specialist
hospital without his knowledge for actions such
as this and other issues? We will, but in due
time! Our health must not be played politics
with by a minister who has shown his
incompetence managing one hospital. If you
could sack the minister of youth development,
Mr. Inuwa Abdul-Kadir for acts not as grievous
as Onyebuchi; do same to this minister of
health.
This is the deciding moment of truth, a time to
take a stand to collectively stop monopoly in the
health sector. The actions we take today are the
history which our generations will judge us with.
Mr. President, think of the calamity that will
happen should state and local government
hospitals join this strike on 28th of August.
JOHESU is on the way to Calvary and the NMA is
acting the Romans, but, and it’s a big but;
should they mount the deadly cross, there may
be no savior and we will pay with our blood.
What will posterity remember you for when this
medical genocide takes place under your
presidency?
Fejiro Oliver, a Journalist can be reached on
secretsreporters@gmail.com and
+2348026797588 (sms only please). You can
now follow on twitter @fejirooliver86 and
Facebook fejirooliver86

In response to the NMA published
statement
The Nigerian Medical Association (NMA)
: A Major Cause of Poor Health Services
in Nigeria
The attention of the national leadership
of Nigerian Union of Pharmacists/
Physiotherapists, Medical Scientists and
other Allied Health Professionals
(NUAHP) also known as NUPMTPAM has
been drawn to press statements
credited to the President and Secretary
of Nigerian Medical Association – Drs.
Enabulele and Pemu….. published by
many national dailies between 27th
September and 3rd October, 2012.
The NMA was reported to have
described the Joint Health Sector Unions
(JOHESU) and Allied Health
Professionals as ‘amorphous’ and their
demands from government “illegitimate
and unjustified”. They went further to
ask the government not to grant those
requests which they described as
“reminiscent to stealing from
Government” particularly on the issue
of skipping or jumping a salary grade in
the civil or public service. They also
called on government to privatize the
services of Physiotherapy, Radiographer,
Pharmacy, Medical Laboratory and
others in government hospitals. They
threatened a strike and a request for
elongation of CONMESS should our
requests be granted by Government.
Our initial reaction was to refrain from
replying since we have always regarded
the NMA as a sister organization and an
important member of the health family
who needs to work harmoniously in the
health sector with us but several
reasons compelled this rejoinder,
namely: pressures from members of
our Unions and professional
associations nationwide, the need to
properly educate the leadership of NMA
who have exposed themselves as
ignorant, arrogant, selfish and highly
indisciplined. We also intend to satisfy
the good people of Nigerian public who
have the right to know the true position
of things and to ensure that errors are
corrected while records are properly
kept.
JOHESU/Allied Health Professionals
JOHESU is a coalition of five recognized
and duly registered trade/labour unions
currently operating in the Health sector.
The Unions are: Medical and Health
Workers Union (MHWUW), National
Association of Nigerian Nurses and
Midwives (NANNM), Senior Staff
Association of Universities, Teaching
Hospitals, Research Institutes and
Associated Institutions (SSAUTHRIAI),
Non-Academic Staff Union of
Educational and Associated Institutions
(NASU) and Nigerian Union of
Pharmacists, Physiotherapists, Medical
Scientists and Professionals Allied to
Medicine (NUPMTPAM) otherwise
known as Allied Health Professionals. All
these were first registered by Decree 22
o 1978 now Trade Unions Act Cap T14
2004 LFN.
We challenge the NMA leaders to tell
the public under which law their own
association is registered. The NMA is
neither registered as a Trade/Labour
Union nor under the land perpetual act.
Henceforth, the NMA is hereby warned
to desist from operating as if it were a
registered Trade Union otherwise
litigation in court of justice awaits your
leadership.
Justification/Legality of JOHESU’S
Demands
In September, 2011, JOHESU submitted
a list often demands to the Federal
Government through the Federal
Ministry of Health. The demands are:
Request for the creation of the post of
Director on salary level 17 (CONHESS
15) and the promotion of Deputy
Directors who have been on the same
grade since 2000 to the post of Director
on salary level CONHESS 15.
The call for the withdrawal of a circular
illegally and unprocedurally issued by
the office of Head of Service of the
Federation through the connivance of
the Minister of Health and NMA to
deprive Health workers from further
enjoying promotion from grade level 09
to 11 (the equivalent of civil service
grade level 10-12) which has been in
the health sector and civil service since
Udoji Awards of 1974.
A call for review of retirement age of
Health Sector staff to 65 years in line
with their counterparts in the
Universities and Allied Institutions.
The call or the restoration of
Consultant’s status removed unjustly in
December 2010 by the current Minister
of Healthn NMA member from qualified
health care professionals who have
been enjoying the benefits via a Federal
Government Circular of September 1976
which has not been superseded.
The call for reconstituting the Boards of
Management of Tertiary Health
Institutions dissolved since September,
2011 whereas those of the Universities
have been reconstituted over six
months ago.
The call for the release and immediate
implementation of 2008 job Evaluation
Report being delayed deliberately by
NMA members.
Request for implementation of National
Industrial Court’s Ruling of March 2006
and the Collective Bargaining,
Agreement of 2009 on Call, Shift,
Specialist allowances and others.
Request for immediate implementation
of the recommendations of Abdullahi
Bello Presidential Committee Report on
Harmony in the Health Sector,
submitted since November, 2011. The
NMA is working hard against its
implementation.
A call on the Minister to convene a
stakeholder’s conference to iron out the
grey areas in the current National
Health Bill so that when the National
Assembly conducts a public hearing, a
single voice from the Health Sector will
be presented, thus accelerating the bill’s
passage.
The call for re-assignment of the two
current Ministers of Health who are
biased in favour of NMA and against
other Health Professionals/Workers and
their replacement with two new
persons, one of whom should be an
Allied Health Professional.
We would be grateful if the NMA could
point out anyone of these demands that
is unjustified or illegitimate. The NMA
leaders need a refresher course in
semantics, laws of Nigeria, and Public
decorum.
Is Skipping/Jumping of a Grade Level in
the Civil Service Legal?
The statement of NMA on this issue
shows that both NMA and the
Honourable Minister of Health hold
same opinion and both have been
jointly attacking JOHESU indicating they
are not properly informed or educated.
Since Udoji awards of 1974, skipping of
a grade level or more has been built
into different salary structures to serve
as an incentive to motivate civil or
public servants. For instance, in the
70s, University Professors earned grade
level 16 (the highest then), associate
Professor/reader earned grade level 14.
Note that grade level 15 was skipped.
Similarly, we had the following then:
Senior Lecturer= GL.13
Lecturer grade I=GL.11
Note: that (12) was skipped or jumped.
In the civil service, since 1974 no
Administrative Officers cadre was
placed on GL .11. Up- til now, it is being
skipped. However, in 1981, the
Universities salary grading changed
from sixteen to fifteen grade levels,
courtesy the Cookey commission report.
To convert sixteen to fifteen grade
levels, one level was omitted and that
was then called University Salary Scale
(USS 10).
In 1982, Onosode Commission
recommended that Teaching Hospitals
and Research Institutes should enjoy
similar conditions of service with the
Universities since they perform similar
functions. Government accepted this,
hence, USS was introduced in the
Health Sector and Research Institutes.
Up-til today, a 15-scale salary system
operates in all Tertiary Institutions and
all of them skip salary grade “10” at
various times under various salary
systems, namely: USS (1981/82) to
EUSS/RUSS (1991) to HATISS
(1993-2007) to CONTISS (2007) and
now CONTISS and UASS (University)
CONHESS (Health Sector) CONRISS
(Research Institutes).
Furthermore, the UASS 1-7 is equivalent
to CONHESS 7-15 or the civil service
CONPSS 08-17. This shows that the
University Academic on UASS moves
from 9-11, and 11-13 thus skipping
twice, an equivalent of skipping three
grade levels on Civil Service salary
structure, but two on CONHESS.
CONPSS CONHESS CONMESS
Graduate Assistant= 108 07 _
Asst. Lecturer =209 08 _
Lecturer 2=310 09 01
(11)* (10)* 02
Lecturer 1=412 11 03
Senior Lecturer=5 13/14/15 12/13
04/05
Associate Professor=616 14 06
Professor=717 15 07
This write up has shown that skipping
or jumping of a grade level or more is
neither new nor strange nor illegal. It
has been with us since early 70s or
earlier and it is deliberately created to
serve as an incentive such as double or
triple promotion to motivate workers.
Circular issued by Head of Service in
2010 and 2011.
“Stealing from Government Purse”
The NMA leadership accused JOHESU/
Allied Health Professionals of stealing
from Government purse for insisting on
the legal rights of her members to
continue to skip Salary CONHESS 10.
We demand an apology from NMA
leaders within the next fifteen days of
this publication or face a libel suit.
Privatization of clinical services of
Physiotherapy, Pharmacy.
Laboratory etc
A call for privatization by NMA of core
services the government hospitals are
rendering has clearly shown that the
NMA leaders are out of tune with the
purpose of government and the roles of
Professional Association or Unions to
the populace. We must distinguish
between Public-Private Partnership and
outright privatization. The former is a
symbiotic and mutual relationship
which will not leave either party at a
loss. It is a gain-gain relationship but
the latter, privatization, if a system
where a party takes over the running of
the business of the government and
runs it to make maximum profit for his/
her own organization. This will leave the
government hospital, the employees of
government and the patients or clients
of health services to be at a great loss.
Workers will be retrenched, the few that
are left will be over-worked and be paid
less, patients will pay very high bills and
the resultant effect is that the hospitals
become inaccessible to the poor, the
low and medium income earners, while
unemployment will soar higher and the
populace will be a great loser.
Since health services should be the
social right of individuals, citizens have
the right of access to high quality health
care. It has been observed that while
NMA leaders suggest the privatization of
services rendered by Allied Health
Professionals, they are silent on their
own services, a proof of selfishness and
inconsiderateness. They are merely
devising a means to divert numerous
patients who will not be able to afford
high bills in the privatized government
hospitals to be seen in their own private
clinics and hospitals as well as buy up
the government health institutions.
While we concede the right to make
suggestion to NMA and others, we have
a firm conviction that no responsible
government will take such a decision
without getting the opinions of majority
stakeholders in the system. Giving the
fact that members of JOHESU/Allied
Health Professionals constitute over
80% of the health sector’s work force,
the idea of privatization is not
supported by us.
Threat of Strike Should our Demands be
Granted
Five of our demands are currently,
being looked into for implementation
having jointly signed an agreement on
the 10th May, 2012. Four others have
been referred to the National Industrial
Court for ruling. The tenth demand, the
removal of the Health Ministers, is being
pursued vigorously. We have no doubt
in our minds that the demands shall be
granted because they are legitimate and
justified.
If the NMA wants to enjoy the rights of
labour Union, the association should
apply for registration as such. Should
NMA continue to embark on strike
against the laws of the nation,
appropriate litigation actions will be
taken to check her excesses being an
unregistered labour union and an illegal
organization.
Calling for Extension of CONMESS
The NMA should not hide under the
demands of JOHESU/Allied Health
Professionals to call for the extension of
CONMESS. It should be placed on
record that the CONMESS as a salary
structure was achieved illegally in 2009
when NMA secretly bargained with the
government as if it were a registered
trade union. We warned the Salaries,
Incomes and Wages Commission then
not to allow NMA to break ranks with
the other Unions/Professional
Associations but the government
agencies collaborated with Prof.
Osotimehin , former Health Minister, to
give NMA a separate salary structure –
CONMESS. As shown by Nigerian
Television Authority in March 2009, the
NMA leaders jubilated wildly and
expressed joy and happiness in being
given CONMESS. It is too early for NMA
to call for an elongation. We recall how
NMA was given MSS/MSSS in 1991
while others were discriminated against.
This led to series of industrial crises
which had not been fully resolved
before Professor Osotimehin’s era
which compounded the problem.
The fact of the matter now is that the
NMA has realized the error committed
in having a separate salary structure in
a health sector where NMA should play
a prominent role to ensure unity and
team spirit but it is the NMA that fuels
disunity, crisis and indiscipline in the
system.
OBSERVATIONS/RECOMMENDATIONS
We wish to draw the attention of NMA
leaders/members to the need for
repentance, re-assessment and reversal
of action so that they can return to the
larger fold of the health family. NMA
leaders and members should bury their
pride and be humble to know that
others have a lot to contribute in the
health sector and that no one is more
important than the other whether junior
staff, para medical worker,
Administrative or other supportive staff.
All should work collaboratively with the
health care providers to achieve a
peaceful atmosphere for achieving the
desired goal. Unless the NMA
leadership adopts a change in attitude,
Nigeria’s health care system will be far
from improvement.
Signed:
F.O. Faniran, M.Sc. FNSP
Consultant Neuro/Community
Physiotherapist
National President,
Nigerian Union of Allied Health
Professionals (NUAHP/NUPMTPAM)
Ile-Ife, Nigeria. 08060508721
O.C. Ogbonna
Bsc, MSc Human Nutrition/Dietetics
Member NDA RD
National General Secretary,
Nigerian Union of Allied Health
Professionals (NUAHP/NUPMTPAM)
Ile-Ife, Nigeria. 080363655

Following the industrial crisis rocking the
health sector, the Nigeria Labour Congress
(NLC) yesterday urged President Goodluck
Jonathan to call the Minister of Health,
Prof. Onyebuchi Chukwu, to order.
In a statement: “Call the minister to
order,” the NLC President, Comrade
Abdulwahed Omar, said: “The congress is
saddened by the fact that for most of his
tenure, Prof. Chukwu has been embroiled
in intra-sector disputes, instead of growing
the sector. I urge President Jonathan to
call the Minister of Health to order before
he does incalculable harm in the health
sector.”
Omar said the congress has watched with
concern, the spate of violations of
collective agreements by the Federal
Government leading to avoidable industrial
crisis.
He said the latest being that of the health
sector by the Minister of Health, who has
flagrantly observed in the breach not only
an agreement reached with the Joint
Health Sector Union (JOHESU), but the
ruling of the National Industrial Court
(NIC), leading to the ongoing strike in the
health sector.
According to him, the NLC was dismayed
that the minister did not only violate,
dishonour and abandon a ruling by a
competent court as the NIC, but also
repudiated an earlier agreement with the
unions that both parties would be bound
by the outcome of the court ruling, and
was in the forefront of taking the case to
court through the Minister of Labour.
Describing the minister’s action as an
invitation to chaos, NLC said: “One of the
hallmarks of any democracy is respect for
the rule of law. Violation of this time-
honoured value constitutes not only a
breach of trust, but also an invitation to
anarchy.”
It added: “It is all the more worrying when
this violation is done by a Minister of the
Federal Republic of Nigeria, who ought not
only to hold out himself as the Chief
Physician of the country, but also a key
ambassador of the Jonathan
administration.
“The breaches of agreement are the
genesis of the dispute.”
NLC advised the minister to stop playing
politics with the health of Nigerians,
especially the poor, who do not have the
wherewithal or access to slush funds to
patronise private hospitals and go for
routine foreign check-ups.
The statement also noted that : “Rather
than embark on a campaign of calumny
against the unions and a laborious appeal
process with dire health and industrial
consequences to the country, Congress
advises the Minister to immediately toe
the path of honour by recognising the
court judgment and implementing the
demands of the unions, which include the
following:
“Those earlier appointed as health
consultants would continue to enjoy the
status with all benefits and the withdrawal
of their letters of appointment is irregular,
null and void. They should immediately be
returned to their hitherto status with full
pay arrears.
“That skipping of CONHESS 10 is legal and
the purported circular by the Ministry of
Health and the Head of the Civil Service of
the Federation stopping it is illegal, null,
void and of no effect whatsoever.
Members of the unions, who were
adversely affected by the minister’s
decision, should be appropriately placed
with accrued arrears from the date they
were reverted paid to them.
“That negotiations should commence
towards the review of shift duty, call duty
allowances and other allowances.
“We commend the prompt intervention of
the Minister of Labour, which would have
brought about the desired industrial
harmony, but for the arrogant and
uncompromising attitude of the Minister of
Health. He did not only abort a meeting
called last week by the Minister of Labour
for both parties to hold discussions, but
also offered no regrets for his conspicuous
absence.”
24 minutes ago

Medical Workers Strike Suspension: If I Were
NMA By Fejiro Oliver
Posted by Editor
A choir is made up of many voices, including
yours and mine. If one by one all go silent then
all that will be left are the soloists. Don’t let a
loud few determine the nature of the sound. It
makes for poor harmony and diminishes the
song.” – Vera Nazarian
Generations change their style of life; they
dictate
how their future and that of their unborn should
be.
They do so not at the peril of others, but for
the
entire benefit of mankind. Their struggle begins
from
the womb and come to fruition when they
decide to
take their destinies in their hands. Still yet, they
are
sympathetic to the cause of their current
generation
even as they fight for a tomorrow they may
never
see. But nothing is more paradisic (my own
word for
living in paradise) than see their struggles,
agitations and tussle for survival come to
fruition
while the breath of life still run in them.
The above aptly capture the delicate health
system
and their medical workers who despite their
agitations remembered their Hippocratic Oath
and
graciously, but with a clause suspended the
strike.
At exactly 12.15am Wednesday, a top official of
the
union sent me a text that the strike has just
been
suspended. Before then, a government top
official
has hinted me that they are meeting and the
minister who is currently under fire is ready to
climb
down from his high horse and accede to JOHESU
requests. In the meeting which had the minister
of
health were also present; the Head of civil
service of
the federation and National President of TUC
was an
agreement reached that the strike will be
suspended
for four weeks, with an implementation
committee
headed by the Head of civil service to implement
the
ruling of the National Industrial court and the
minister not to go on appeal.
The true mark of repentance is humility, which
Mr.
Onyebuchi Chukwu (who is likely to see me as an
antagonist, but I see him as a friend in progress)
may have shown by finally seeing reasons for
the
just action of JOHESU. I do not believe he’s
unjustly
insensitive, but the NMA constituency which he
belongs seems to affect his reasoning. He has
decided to right the wrongs of Late Ransome
Kuti
and we bid posterity to begin his judgment from
there. Now that the strike has been called off;
what
would I have done if I were the NMA national
president?
The strike once again has proved that the
doctors of
medicine(MD) cannot work as health
practitioners
without the other doctors and medical
practitioners’,
thus proving that all services rendered by these
medical personnel are indispensible. Were I the
NMA chairman, I would humbly call my partners
in
JOHESU and NUPTAM; apologize for any
inflammatory statements that might have
angered
their members to pour out their venomous
wrath on
Nigerians, which led to increased number of
death
since their services were withdrawn. I will
borrow a
leaf from the NMA Gombe State chairman, Dr
Jauro
Degri statement, acknowledging their inability to
take the place of the other medical officers,
thus,
“we want to inform the public that whatever
service
we cannot render as a result of the strike, we
can
always advise and direct them to where they can
be
attended to”. It doesn’t cost a dime to be
modest and
plead that the ultimate end for all medical
workers is
what Dr Jauro said, “We are all trained to save
lives
and these lives, we must save, because we know
that one day, we must account for this work
that we
are doing,”. This is what the NMA should do
preaching unity and collaboration among
themselves.
Were I the NMA, I will team up with NUPTAM to
form a union that will take the government on
the
decayed health facilities in the country, failed
health
issues as their ASUU counterpart are demanding
for
improvement in the education industry. Imagine
a
union such as this going on strike! You can bet
on it
that their industrial action will not last for more
than
48 hours before the government of the day
consent
to their reasonable request(s). They will get the
optimum support of all Nigerians, as their being
indispensible will be proved beyond reasonable
doubt. I will reflect on the NMA strike in Lagos
State
where Governor Babatunde Fashola relegated
them
to an inconsequential association, despite the
weeks
it lingered, with works going on fully in Lagos
hospitals. A union such has this would have
made
Fashola literary creeping and begging for it to be
called off. If I were NMA; I would advocate for
this
common union in the spirit of brotherhood and
comradeship.
Had I been the NMA, I will truly seek the advice
of
the Medical Laboratory scientist who is more
grounded in their field and thus better, than a
pathologist. I will see their services as
indispensible,
taking a big lesson from the MD in UBTH who
tried
to do the work of the striking Medical scientist
and
ended up spilling 18 PCV out of 24 PCV, a clear
case
of inability.
How about the case of the Doctors of
physiotherapy
(DPT)? The Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria
(MDCN) will join the Medical Rehabilitation
Therapy
Board (MRTB) to ask the government to provide
enough equipment to the various hospitals, to
enable
the few graduates they produce do their
internship
in any hospital in the country. Next, we will
write to
Nigerian Universities Commission to increase
the
number of universities studying this course (they
are
less than 15), while we do all it takes to meet
the
requirements to setting up such department. A
new
branch of medicine it is but indispensible.
Nigerian
former military president, Babangida can testify
to
it, when he went for a broken leg treatment
abroad,
as well as former vice president, Atiku Abubakar
who have been treated by name. Do we need to
mention the governor of Taraba State who needs
it
to come back to his memory, working alongside
a
neuro specialist?
To the nurses, who are the de facto head of the
wards, will I pledge my union support, to
respect
and not claim to be their boss when actually we
are
not, either by practice or training, except by age
or
grade level. We at the NMA executive will set up
a
committee to look into the unwritten fracas
happening between the doctors of medicine and
nursing graduates; then proffer a solution once
and
for all, knowing that the common stake we share
is
to make a patient get well. We will go the length
of
meeting the radiography board to iron out our
differences while reaching a synergy that not
only
will they exercise their authority as the modern
eyes
of in-depth medical practice in their private
hospitals, but also government hospitals.
We understand that we don’t know anything
about
diet, and thus should not feign to be dieticians.
As
the NMA, we accept that we are only a group of
specialist in a particular field, who even in our
personal lives seek the advice of the dieticians
and
follow strictly the diet they laid down for us.
This
dietary department, if true confession is made is
a no
go area, and thus we won’t and should not
deceive
patients that it’s within our jurisdiction to give
right
solution. Succinctly put; we are only an allied
profession to it just as we are to others and they
are
to us.
To undermine the Pharmacists who are called
Doctor of Pharmacy abroad, if I were a NMA
president is to commit career suicide, since my
patients cure begin from their doorsteps. They
manufacture the drugs which we prescribe to
whoever seeks our advice. Beside, these are
group
of people who can work alone and in places
outside
the hospital/clinic settings without needing my
services or educational input. I will seek to
mend
fence with them if there were any.
Why should we in the medical sector struggle
for
leadership when that is actually not the problem
with our hospitals. In the beginning, it was not
so;
thus I will let my NMA constituency know that
there
are no superior in this field of medicine, but
equals
working toward the same purpose, to achieve a
common goal- improved and better health care
for
us with good monetary value accrued to our
services. The debate for harmony is a welcome
development, so will I see it, after all, we truly
harmonize in the discharge of our duties to the
patients. The mistake/failure on the part of a
medical
lab scientist or radiographer renders useless all
the
treatment of a doctor of medicine or doctor of
physiotherapy. The careless action of a nurse
will
see a patient to the grave and the list goes on. I
will
gladly follow the words of Tony Hillarman,
“Everything is connected. The wing of the corn
beetle affects the direction of the wind, the way
the
sand drifts, the way the light reflects into the
eye of
man beholding his reality. All is part of totality,
and
in this totality man finds his hozro, his way of
walking in harmony, with beauty all around
him”.
This is the harmony that we truly need which
should
reflect in the leadership. We agree that anyone
can
head, but better if a hospital administrator is
made
the head while we all focus on our clinical
duties,
and the commissioner or minister of health
being
from any competent medical practitioner.
Oh if I were! I will not see Fejiro Oliver as a
witch
hunting journalist, who was paid to demystify
the
medical profession, but a reporter who was
simply
doing his job to see that the health sector is
truly
reformed and a better working relationship
among
all the practitioners. Yes, I will look at all he has
said
critically, analyzed it and with modesty kick off
to
work.
I really wish were!
Nothing gladdens a reporter’s heart than seeing
his
genuine cry heard in the interest of the nation.
We at
secretsreporters saw a medical strike genocide
coming had the state and local government
hospitals
joined today, that the strike was eventually
suspended. We saw our grandparents in the
village
raining curses on the government for denying
them
access to these medical workers, most especially
the
ladies who love to visit a hospital and love being
attended to by the ladies in white. While they
label
our report as being too frank; we just could not
be
too mild with the lives of Nigerians. What they
fail to
understand is that should NMA go on a just
strike
tomorrow, we will still be here to ring the bells
in
support of them. Oh yes, we will!
We‘ve not backed out of the call to relieve the
minister of health of his ministerial position, but
it’s
never late for him to make amend, go back to
the
drawing table and retrace his steps. The strike
has
only been suspended, not called off; hence let
the
agreement and consensus to these deserving
requests be granted. This is no call of support
for
JOHESU but for the general good of the citizenry
who will die next after the expiration of four
weeks
with the agreement not honored. Even the lands
have rejected their corpse; Mr. President, do
not
force them on the land.
For now, JOHESU/NUPTAM and the patients in
the
hospitals that will now see their doctors, Nurses,
Medical lab scientist, Imaging Scientist,
Dieticians
etc back to work treat them, can now pop
champagne.
These little things matter…
Fejiro Oliver, a Journalist can be reached on
secretsreporters@gmail.com and
+2348026797588
(sms only please). You can now follow on twitter
@
fejirooliver86 and Facebook fejirooliver86