The Chairman of the Osun State Association of Medical and Dental Officers, Dr. Isiaka Adekunle, has said the body will convince its members to suspend the ongoing strike, which is almost five months old.

According to a statement made available to our correspondent in Osogbo on Saturday by the Chairman, House Committee on Information, Mr. Olatubosun Oyintiloye, Adekunle raised the hope of resumption during the meeting of the lawmakers with the leadership of the striking doctors.

The Speaker, Mr. Najeem Salaam, appealed to the doctors to suspend the industrial action, saying the masses were at the receiving end of the crisis.

Salaam said, “You are major stakeholders in the health sector, and whenever you decide to lay down your tools, the masses suffer, people die.

“We are appealing that you go back to your duty posts, while we continue our dialogue to ensure that your demands are met.

The economic realities in the country, particularly in a state like ours, requires that we all make sacrifices and in making sacrifices, the Osun Assembly will stand by you to see that justice is done.”

The Speaker then assured the striking doctors that after calling off the strike, the assembly would ensure that none of them was victimised due to the industrial action.

The OSAMDO chairman promised the parliament that their appeal would be taken to the congress to convince the doctors to suspend the action.

Adekunle said, “Members of the union were also ready to make sacrifices as done by other labour unions in the state but they only rejected the agreement between the government and the Nigeria Labour Congress because they (doctors) were not carried along during the negotiations.

“We will take your appeal to the congress and we believe that we will be able to convince our members to suspend the strike. The people of Osun should be expecting good news anytime from now due to the assurance we have received from the state assembly.”

Source: PUNCH