Nigerian doctors say they would embark on a
nationwide strike from December 14, the end of an
ultimatum issued the government, following the
federal government’s failure to comply with an
agreement reached with their union, the Nigerian
Medical Association.
The doctors also said the Minister of Health,
Onyebuchi Chukwu, should be held responsible for
any crisis that erupts from the health sector from
December 14.
The doctors stated their position in a notice titled
“Countdown to the December 14th deadline,” and
made available to PREMIUM TIMES by the President
of the NMA, Osahon Enabulele. The doctors said
only the re-constitution and inauguration of the
Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria, MDCN, has
been achieved for the over five months that the
NMA has been engaging the federal government in
talks. They said the government ignored other parts
of the agreements reached earlier in the year. The
agreements ignored, according to Mr. Enabulele,
are: issues bordering on workplace conditions and
injustice meted out to doctors in their conditions of
service, as well as funding/infrastructural and
equipment upgrade of the health sector.
This is not the first time the Nigerian government
would be going back on agreements reached with
workers unions. Since July this year, all
government owned universities have been under
lock as a result of the federal government not
complying with agreements reached in 2009 with
the lecturers’ union, ASUU, on issues such as
university funding and staff welfare.
The doctors, like the lecturers, have held series of
meetings with government officials including those
of the Federal Ministry of Health, Head of the Civil
Service of the Federation, and the Secretary to the
Government of the Federation, on issues bordering
on some health sector challenges, workplace
conditions, and the conditions of service of doctors.
On September 2, 2013, the association issued a 21-
day ultimatum to the FG to address the issues
tabled by NMA. However, based on the
understanding reached following the intervention of
the Minister of Labour and Productivity, Emeka
Wogu, the NMA extended her ultimatum by four
weeks at her emergency National Executive Council
(NEC) meeting held in Abuja on September 22, 2013.
Following the expiration of the additional four weeks
ultimatum, the NMA again extended twice the
ultimatum on account of the government’s
constitution of a Presidential Committee and
promise to speedily resolve the issues contained in
the requests of the NMA.
Unfortunately, since the report of the Presidential
Committee was submitted to the Secretary to the
Government of the Federation, only the re-
constitution and inauguration of the Medical and
Dental Council of Nigeria has been achieved while
other parts of the agreement were ignored.
The doctors, through their president, have now said
it would be difficult to guarantee further extension of
the grace period and industrial harmony in the
health sector.
“Efforts by the NMA to engage the leadership of the
Federal Ministry of Health even at this eleventh hour
collapsed following the unserious approach and
attitude of the leadership of the Federal Ministry of
Health who seem to be less bordered about the
potential crisis which may erupt in Nigeria’s health
sector from Saturday, December 14, 2013.
“Therefore the Nigerian Medical Association most
distressingly alerts the entire nation about the
imminent collapse of health services across the
entire country given the apparent levity and lack of
concrete commitment so far exhibited by the
Government through the Federal Ministry of Health,”
Mr. Enabulele stated.
Read the content of Mr. Onabulele’s statement
below.
AS COUNTDOWN TO THE EXPIRATION OF THE NMA
ULTIMATUM DRAWS NEAR, THE ASSOCIATION
SAYS THAT THE MINISTER OF HEALTH SHOULD BE
HELD RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY CRISIS THAT
ERUPTS IN THE HEALTH SECTOR
For over five months now, the Nigerian Medical
Association (NMA), the umbrella body for all medical
and dental practitioners in Nigeria, has recurrently
engaged the Federal Government through the
Federal Ministry of Health, Head of the Civil Service
of the Federation and the Secretary to the
Government of the Federation, on issues bordering
on some health sector challenges, workplace
conditions and the conditions of service of doctors.
On the 2nd September, 2013 the Nigerian Medical
Association issued a 21day ultimatum to the Federal
Government of Nigeria to address the issues tabled
by NMA. However, based on the understanding
reached following the intervention of the Honourable
Minister of Labour and Productivity, Chief Emeka
Wogu CON, the NMA decided to extend her
ultimatum by four weeks at her emergency National
Executive Council (NEC) meeting held in Abuja on
September 22, 2013.
Following the expiration of the additional four (4)
weeks grace granted to the Federal Government,
the NMA again magnanimously extended twice the
ultimatum on account of the Government’s
constitution of a Presidential Committee and
promise to speedily resolve the issues contained in
the requests of the NMA. Sadly, since the report of
the Presidential Committee was submitted to the
Secretary to the Government of the Federation, only
the re-constitution and inauguration of the Medical
and Dental Council of Nigeria has been achieved.
The attention of the government to other issues
bordering on workplace conditions and injustice
meted out to doctors in their conditions of service
and funding/ infrastructural and equipment upgrade
of the health sector have not received any
significant attention.
On account of the foregoing, it may be difficult to
guarantee further extension of the grace period and
consequently, industrial harmony in the health
sector, especially as the December 14, 2013
deadline issued to the Federal Government to
concretely resolve the demands of the NMA draws
closer.
Efforts by the NMA to engage the leadership of the
Federal Ministry of Health even at this eleventh hour
collapsed following the unserious approach and
attitude of the leadership of the Federal Ministry of
Health who seem to be less bordered about the
potential crisis which may erupt in Nigeria’s health
sector from Saturday, December 14, 2013.
Therefore the Nigerian Medical Association most
distressingly alerts the entire nation about the
imminent collapse of health services across the
entire country given the apparent levity and lack of
concrete commitment so far exhibited by the
Government through the Federal Ministry of Health.
Dr Osahon Enabulele
NMA President
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