₦airaland Forum

SURGEON GENERAL? PRESIDENT JONATHAN; DO THE NEEDFUL OR TENDER YOUR RESIGNATION LETTER ASAP
Fejiro Oliver


Constant attention by a good Nurse may just be as important as a major operation by a surgeon
_Dag Hammarskjold


President Jonathan is surely a man that loves courting controversy; searching for troubles where there is none and at the end gets his fingers burnt and finally he blames his political opponents, Social Media critics and online Journalists for his woes. The regrettable thing is that haven wooed the entire problem; he gets entangled in a web of quagmire which ropes him and throws him off balance. What manner of New Year gift is this to Nigerians? Such is the type of President many of us will be regretting for standing under the scorching sun to cast our precious votes.


For the record, I am neither a media consultant to JOHESU nor any health union, neither have I defended them beyond the basic facts of the issues arising out of the current brouhaha in the health sector. I have also had cause to defend many physicians within the scope of their job and will always do. So let it be!
The crisis in the health sector is still boiling and yet our President who doesn’t give a damn has concluded plans to create an irrelevant office called ‘Surgeon General’ for Nigeria and Nigerians. This certainly is no good plan as many will think; certainly not. This is another office meant to siphon public funds by the Presidency and his band of looters. I have spent three good days consulting all over the world on who an SG is and no one has given a good reason why Nigeria should have such bogus position. Not even the majority of the physicians see any need for such apart from the elites who will fight over it.
Going through the comments in various newspapers that have their presence online; it is evident that Nigerians do not want such a position. More criminal is the clause that it is the exclusive preserve of Medical Doctors. This is where whoever constructed the bill got it wrong. This is where we know that our President must have his PhD queried if he does not know that the SG is an all inclusive position for all medical staffs that are clinically inclined. Here we go.
The SG is a position created exclusively for the military in 1798 when the US Congress established the US Marine Hospital Service. Originally, the corps was composed only of physicians. As medicine became complicated with the realization that most of the injured war victims do not always need surgery but Physiotherapy, Nurses attention or only taking of drugs provided by the pharmacists, the position of the SG was made open to any of the officers in the Medical Command (MEDCOM) who must be a lieutenant General. Thus on December 7th 2011, Lt. Gen. Patricia Horoho. RN was sworn in as the first woman and first NURSE to officially be in command of the Army’s largest medical organization. That day proved to the world that the appointment was no longer based on medical first degree but most qualified among all the health workers. 

At the ceremony, Gen. Raymond T. Odierno, chief of staff of the Army, said the impact of the Army surgeon general goes well beyond the Army to the “national and international level.”
“This position requires a special officer that can lead change and achieve unity of effort in the dynamic, joint interagency and also in a multinational role working with our allies and partners around the world,” he said.
Horoho previously served simultaneously as the U.S. Army deputy surgeon general and 23rd chief of the U.S. Army Nurse Corps.
She earned a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a Master of Science in Nursing as a clinical trauma specialist from the University of Pittsburgh. She is a resident graduate of the Army’s Command and General Staff College and the Industrial College of the Armed Forces, where she earned a second Master of Science degree in National Resource Strategy.


Another Nurse who served as the SG was Gale Pollock after the then Army SG, General Kevin kIley resigned due to the controversial Walter Reed Army Medical Centre Scandal in 2007
A policy change in 1996 made it possible for someone other than a physician to serve as the Army surgeon general, according to the Army Medical Command. The policy reads that “the surgeon general may be appointed from officers in any corps of the Army Medical Department and, while so serving, has the grade of lieutenant general.” The President should automatically get this policy change as soon as possible.
Mr President, it is the words of General Raymond that I bring to you today. He never said the position required a special medical doctor or a special surgeon but a “special officer”. To further prove this point, a Pharmacist is the current Deputy Surgeon General by name, Rear Admiral Scott F. Gibberson, and should the current SG resigns or exit under any circumstance; Gibberson, a Pharmacist will take over the hallowed position. The system we wish to copy must be copied completely with the position made open to all medical workers.


The arrogance of a profession who swims in delusion of self importance should not becloud the generality of Nigerians who have seen far than they do. Taking a look at the bill sent to the Senate smacks of selfishness with roles that has already render the position of the Health Minister useless. 
“He/She shall articulate scientifically based health policy analysis, and advise the President, National Assembly, and the Minister of Health on the full range of critical Public health, medical and health system issues facing the Nation.
 He/She shall elevate the quality of health practice in the professional disciplines through the advancement of appropriate standards and research priorities.
He/She shall provide leadership and management oversight in National emergency preparedness and response i. e coordinate health and medical services delivery during national disasters.
He/She shall fulfill statutory and customary functions on a wide variety of Federal Boards and Government bodies as required by appropriate representation.
He/She shall promote health and healthy life styles by adherence to norms and standards, this he shall do by providing guidelines on health matters that affect the citizenry”

“The Surgeon-General of Nigeria (SGN) shall appoint numbers of persons as Director or heads of various departments provided the appointment shall reflect the Federal Character of Nigeria” they say. Whose money will they waste for the SG to appoint his cronies as SA, PA, SSA, etc? An intern medical doctor recieves N180, thousand per month which a level 14 officer in most Federal civil service don't get. As a junior resident, his take home pay is N273 thousand which is the salary of some directors in Federal civil service; and as a senior resident officer, his pay packet is N350 thousand monthly and a consultant takes home N800,000 thousand monthly while some gets as much as N1.6 million, which is an annual pay of many senior Federal civil servants, yet someone comes to drum into our ears that it is not true. If these people collects this outrageous sum in a country where we don't pay tax on the things we spend like our counter parts abroad; how much will the SG collects monthly? N5 million or more monthly apart from the other loots that will be budgeted to run the office.
What other work does the Minister of health do other than the above listed for the proposed SGF? Whoever thought up this idea ought to be behind bar. To think that the SG will serve for tenure of six years when the President who appoints him stays for four years is certainly the works of men who wants to use the office to feather their next. Is the SG our problem in the health sector? A million of them cannot stop any Nigeria from going to seek medical treatment abroad. If I wish to go to Germany for treatment; it is my hard earned money and no SG can block the airport to stop me or any Nigerian from entering the next available plane to go to Germany. Why deceive ourselves that the SG can decide who goes abroad for medical treatment? No profession must be allowed the misadventure to ride on another like they are princes; just as no occupation should have her ego massaged for peace to reign. This attitude of masturbating the ego of all medical workers especially NMA must stop. If the SG must be created; then the sperm of justice must run through the embryo of all the clinical workers and not a selected few.
Can we stop this deception of creating this position that will further ground the health sector and focus on solving the ones on ground? The governor of Taraba State, Danbaba Suntai does not need surgery to come back on his feet today but physiotherapy. Do we then create the office of the Physiotherapy General? Do we need to remind ourselves that Obasanjo closeness to Senator Andy Uba is because he was rehabilitated by the latter who is a doctor of physiotherapy? Did he ask the then President to create a special post for his colleagues? Any attempt by Mr President to create this post will bring anarchy not just to the health sector but Nigeria as a whole. He should get ready to create the office of the tutor general, Reporter General, Engineer general, bricklayer general, Suya Man general, Banker General, Driver general, Pharmacist general, and even corruption general which will be headed by Stella Oduah, Alison Madueke or Goddey Orubebe. It is as serious as that. The President should focus on building of quality hospitals that will make our leaders get treated at home. It is a lie from the pit of abyss to tell Nigerians that medical tourism is due to the non availability of a Surgeon General. For crying out loud; only five countries arguably have the office of Surgeon General and we do not have to follow suit. Enough of this copy cat culture in us, when we have not finished copying how to practice the true democracy. It’s another sub-standard lie for NMA to Nigerians that Nigeria best brains in Medicine and Surgery are abroad. Oh my God, it means we all have been treated by quacks that are left in this country all these years. We are simply finished!
All other medical workers especially the Nurses and Physiotherapists are the worst hit as we have them practicing abroad more than the physician. There is brain drain in every sector and it is entirely not the fault of Nigeria, but personal decisions. Do we bring all the health workers registered in their various boards to confirm this claim?
We certainly do not have money to waste on this borrowed post that is coming to duplicate the minister of health. Come to think of it, which of our medical worker in the Armed Forces is up to the rank of a Lieutenant General? If we must copy anything America, we must also copy their prudent way of spending and it has to begin from the budget. Any attempt to gag the president into creating this monster position without following the Americans whom we are borrowing it from will certainly prove to the world his weakness, and a weak man cannot govern a country like Nigeria. This is worse than the current challenge of the All Progressive Congress (APC), as it will indirectly affects the masses. What are we even saying? The bill has been brought to the Senate and House of Representatives and they in their wisdom have thrown it out. It went before the Justice Abdullahi Gusau Committee on Harmony in the Health Sector and was utterly rejected. This bill will certainly not see the day without the assent of the lawmakers, and if in whatever form it succeeds; Mr President should please tender his resignation letter should the health sector goes on strike. We do not live in an animal farm despite the President being a graduate of how to take care of animals.
It is still a rumor for now and President Jonathan can still warm his way back by dousing it and reassuring us that it will never come to pass; at least not in his regime and never should it be. Do the needful. Happy New Year pals.
These little things matter…
Fejiro Oliver, a Journalist can be reached on secretsreporters@gmail.com and +2348026797588 (sms only please). Follow on twitter @fejirooliver86 and Facebook  fejirooliver86. Like our Facebook page - secretsreporters

@ Silent_don:
easier said than done. You can't refute the fact that the health sector can not function without JOHESU.
How many private hospital can handle the conditions seen in tertiary hospitals.

@ TEAM_GEJ "The physiotherapists can all go and leak their deep wounds.."

...You did not read the post to the end. The physiotherapists, Lab. Scientists, Nurses, Pharmacists, Radiographer and other health workers are against the move... Meeting will be held on Monday at Pharmacist's house in Lagos.
The court, law makers, and various govt committees has earlier thrown out the idea of SGF because it lacks relevance in Nigerian system of health practice.
Doctor always looking for a way to LORD themselves over others but unfortunately the hospital cannot operate even for a day without this people (JOHESU).
GEJ should be careful not to shoot himself on the foot inquest for his 2015 ambitions. If he agrees to demands of every union, that means the FG will lack focus prior to 2015.

From NSP President:

Controversy trailing the recent news on President Goodluck Jonathan has jolted the Nigeria Society of Physiotherapists (NSP) into warning the government not to heat the already burning fire in the health sector.

In a press release made available to us and signed by the National President, Dr. Taiwo Oyewunmi, the society condemned the action of the Nigeria Medical Association (NMA) who they accuse of going through the backdoor to get such office created.

"We condemn in totality the move to accede to NMA demands by the Federal Government on the appointment of Surgeon-General and other related matters. We will fight government to a standstill and collaborate with other professional associations in the health sector. The NSP Secretariat will publish a usable information tool kit for NSP members on this matter. The NMA is trying to go through back door and manipulate government to approve what they cannot intelligently negotiate for on a round table”

He likened the current action of the President to the era when he named the University of Lagos (UNILAG) after Moshood Abiola using executive fiat without recourse to the Senate and House of Representatives. They promised a total show down of the health sector like never before should this creation take place. 

“The push has come to shove. Be on look out for a show down. It is unfortunate that the Presidency made such pronouncement without adequate consultations. This issue is similar to how President Goodluck Jonathan renamed University of Lagos without consideration for due process". The statement read.

Speaking with Dr Taiwo on phone, he expressed his unwillingness to call out members to go on strike as the patients are always the ones who suffer. “Fejiro, I hate to go on strike. It is not good as the patients are always the one who suffer, but it seems that is the only language the government understands. Nobody among us is the leader of the health team and thus the SGF is unnecessary. The patient is the leader and without them; none of us will be in the health sector”, he said.

Meanwhile the residency programme of the Doctors of Physiotherapy which was billed to kick off this year we gathered is deliberately being delayed by the Minister of Health, Prof. Onyebuchi Chukwu. A highly placed source told us that he has refused to grant them audience, to enable them submit the model of the residency plan as demanded by the Ministry of Health despite writing over fifteen letters to him.

This we gathered is not unconnected with the crisis in the health sector, which he feels is fueled by JOHESU which physiotherapists belong. The residency programme is done all over the world by Doctors of Physiotherapists, thus making them specialists in a particular field of medical rehabilitation. A look at the board of the graduates reveals that less than a thousand of them are practicing in the country, which makes one DPT to see over one hundred thousand patient.
Source: Elombah.com


PART 2

From AMLSN President:

Dear Colleagues: I bring you new year greetings and wishes for momentous victories in the days and months ahead. It is indeed instructive that three days into 2014 we have been served the notice of battles ahead. 
We will not surrender our inalienable right to liberty, fairness, equity and justice under whatever circumstance. No one will be allowed to ride on us roughshod in the health sector, neither the elected President of Nigeria nor any member of the healthcare team to which we all belong will be allowed the luxury of misadventure to perpertuate tyranny, servitude and unwholesome dominion in the sector any longer.
 
The Surgeon-General bill was presented in the sixth National Assembly and was rejected and thrown out, because it was found out that it would exacerbate the accrimonious and chaotic situation in the health sector. It went before the Justice Abdullahi Gusau Committee on Harmony in the Health Sector and was rejected. How can it now come through Presidential fiat in a civilan democratic dispensation? This is the greatest joke and fraud of the century in Nigeria. It must not stand. We will teach them one or two lessions on how not to take a people for granted.
 
Court judgments have been treated with levity by the FMOH. Statutory Schemes of Service for other health professions have been trampled under feet by the FMOH, CMDs and MDs. Promotions of our members have been withheld for decades. Professional regulatory laws and Service circulars have been trampled under foot by the FMOH and her agents in hospitals. The rule of the thumb has replaced the rule of law and due process in the health sector. They claim to be wiser than the law courts, the legislature and the National Council on Establishment. They insist that their wishes and fancies must be elevated to the status of laws and schemes of sevice in the health sector. 
 
Haaba!!! Must this be allowed to continue
 
The Assembly of Healthcare Professional Associations and the JOHESU will meet on Monday to address the nation and chart the course for a sustained struggle to defeat this mindless attempt to enslave us in the 21st Century.
All hands must be on deck to comply totally and comprehensively with the directives that will be issued on Monday. Those that have the cultivated the habit of sitting on the fence and flouting our directives for our collective good should rethink and decide on the legacies they want to bequeat to unborn generations in the health sector of Nigeria.
 
Now is the time to act to break all vestiges of enslavement, injustice and reckless conduct in the health sector. 100 years of nationhood should herald professional liberty, a sense of belonging, fulfillment and actualization in the health sector in Nigeria. We must stand up to resist this flagrant assault to the very soul of our professional existence.
Thank you.
Dr. G. C. Okara
National President, AMLSN
Chairman, Assembly of Health Professional Associations (AHPA) Abuja.

Source: Medical world Nigeria

The more I read all this public letters the more I get exposed on what the entity Nigeria means.
My opinion: we can do better with pure federalism.
For OBJ, surely 2015 will be the end of your political relevance in Nigeria: APC will reject you, PDP will also reject you.
You will not survive this imminent change in the polity
##my prophesy##

ASUU:
After denting the image of this administration as sponsored by APC and Northern politicians,
After staying at home 5 months doing nothing,
After wasting 5 months of your students live and destiny,
After sacrificing the lives of some of your members,
YOU ARE NOW GLAD with SALARY ARREARS

Shame!!!
Is this what U told us Ur fighting for why contempted so soon!

I am a GEJ fan I love his style of leadership. Sublime, sober and sagacious!

I give him 60%: I need not tell you that Nija is the most difficult nation to rule in the world. Very diverse, naturally corrupt and alarmingly tribal, religiously divided.

Some people prayers and effort since inception of this administration is God/Allah let this man never succeed else we will be put to shame.

A country where bad news is celebrated. Such much effort geared towards negativity by her citizens. Haba Nigerians haha da Allah!

With out bias, GEJ has done well at present.
Not minding that some of his efforts are yet to start yielding full fruits, honestly the decay in Nigeria state needs time, consistency and sustenance to fix.
A diverse country with about 170 M people in urgent need for food, roads, railway, sea ports, airports, jobs, power, bridges etc after a neglect of about 30yrs.
No one can do better than GEJ has done amidst these ugly cabals.
The seeds of development is being planted we shall keep harvesting till 2019.
God bless GEJ

7/10 highly technical, yet assertive!

It will be hypocrite of me to pass this post with out testifying the truthfulness of GEJ's administration. Thank you GEJ, not abt hear say, I have seeing things for myself.

because he is more liberal, tolerant, democratic than other presidents. We are also enjoying ICT and free info. We have become wiser. We have gotten strong opposition parties. Though APC is never good to rule, they are important to check mate PDP.

About 20 hrs per day in Shika Zaria but traveled to Enugu and had 18 hrs Zik's Avenue.
But I know that effect of privatization will take up to 6 months to have maximum effect.

So ASUU what is remaining? Your 4months salary which you earned while at home? Don't worry just resume lectures first, govt. Can't pay U at home.
Congrats FG
Congrats ASUU
Congrats Nigerian Student

With this innovation our lecturers can now have right infrastructures to beat any University in the world in research and inventions. Lol lazy lecturers!

University of Nigeria my alma mata, hail her rejoice for the sake of knowledge....the pride of our land...##singing## Only great lions and lionesses can sing this song!

Take your lead university per excellence!

I hope my department of medical rehabilitation (physiotherapy) was the second after Chem.

Mods front page pleassssse let it serve as example to others!

Where is this Jihadists recruiting this number of fighters? May God save this country, if it continues like this we may not survive the 2015 elections. The born(s) to rule may get their own region were they will enthrone an islamic state as they demanded.

Although I praise the effort of JTF to check mate these extremists, why is it that they can't foil such coordinated attack, even as communication is switched off, with all the intelligence at their disposal.

This Boko boys will group in their forest camp, mobilize down to military bases, launch attack on several installations and retreat almost untouched! Haba da Allah!

Ngige still a Senator?

I having been thinking about this issue since the gubernatorial election in Anambra lingers. Is Ngige still a senator? Didn't he resign his seat in the senate to allow him contest for the election?
I think he must have resigned; if so, when is election holding in his constituency to replace the vacancy?
If soon, is he still eligible to contest? If yes, will he still contest under APC?
Will APC contest future election with this massive rejection of the party by Anambarians, though they filled a credible candidate in Ngige? Is APC Ngige's political waterloo in Anambra, SE and entire Nigeria?

Just asking because I thought for any civil or public officer to contest for another office he must resign his present position.

APC again, I know they must talk. They fear that their plan to hijack the strike through their Muslim/Northern stooge in ASUU leadership has been truncated by FG.
When they win election in 2027, they can use all the FG annual budget for Uni teacher's welfare.
Universities in the south are already opening (UNN, LASU, NAU, EBSU, ESUTH etc) while those in the North has sworn with APC-nothern elites to continue with ALMAJIRI system; they never wanted education save only ARABIC !

Plz somebody should educate me, is Ngige still a senator? I was thinking that he should have resigned to enable him contest for Anambra gubernatorial election. Just asking

I am not in Edo, but I hv carefully read the comments in support of Oshomole: the only example U cited is revamping of primary schools. What of areas like road construction, agriculture, security, basic social amenities etc. So the billions he collects monthly from FG is to touch primary schools.
What has he done about poverty alleviation order than chasing the poor away their petty trade; telling them to go and die!

They don dey drop one by one. I love the idea of having a strong opposition but for the G7 govs the timing is wrong; they just expose themselves to FG bashing b4 end of 2014 many will be brought on their knees.
APC seems to divide Nija along religious line: Northern/Muslim president is the agenda. Nothing progressive not having Nija agenda in mind rather selfish gang up without vision for all. Old crooks with new name.
Can this ever happen: APC chooses a CHRISTIAN SOUTHERNER as her presidential flag bearer? Hahaha never! That tells u the agenda.

[quote author=DerideGull]It is a pity you do not know detailed meaning of corruption. Ikuforiji and co withdrew public fund for personal usage. Stella Oduah was just a minister of aviation who instructed heads of the agencies under her ministry to do right thing when procuring operational vehicles for the ministry. What is so hard you can not discern from the two scenarios?

Tell him bro:
Odua did misappropriation, she approve more than a budgeted cost for official cars. Not a private car, but for the ministry. She was not involved in the purchase transaction; she was has lust for luxurious cars.
The man in question did embezzlement and money laundering; looting public treasury into his private account, using his aids dealing with cash to avoid bank investigation. He is a trained thief.

Front page things; Nija is dead. Every body is a suspect. All of us with innate corrupt tendencies waiting for a chance to exhibit. Good at calling name....

There is no revelation here, it remains the same old stories. No saint among Nigerian politicians including himself (Amaechi). Their corruption is directly proportional to the amount of power in their control.

They are finally tied, criminals on ward coats, bunch of clowns....think they will support their fellow northerners that high jacked the ASUU strike...all to pull down a xtian southern presidoo smh!
A mere student doctor being paid above 250K monthly still go on strike for trivial issues. I don't even know why Govt. will be wasting money for residency programme instead of collecting school fees from them as they keep on killing Nigeria, using them as guinea pigs for practicals.
It is high time other professions advocate for govt to be sponsoring their post graduate programme too

Is this one of the signs... I refuse to comment on this... Does it mean that anti christ has finally arrived?

Rubbish post, beer parlour jist.
Abeg Madam give me another plate of isio-ewu and 2 more bottles of my brand.

But wait ooo; shebi the Church is not political, how could Ngige that has flagged off campaign follow a whole Bishop into a pastoral visit. If you are a Catholic you will understand the kind crowd during confirmation and pastoral visits.
Good strategy from him though APC .....

Baraje group- fight in futility, external opposition is good for democracy but internal opposition is disastrous.
Why distracting this nobel president from his transformation agenda? It will just lead to waste of state money and time meant for meaningful developments.

Of the Greatest Lions and Lioness!!!
I want to intro myself:
Comrade His Excellency,
Physiotherapist 012. Med. Rehab.
Ex Presidoo FHST UNEC-010 Exco
....I dey hear say...

Wetin concern ASUU strike with APC. Abi Jonathan don turn to Buhari ni

You are myopic of the whole plot. Resident doctors has also met in sokoto and agreed to go on strike for trivial issues that don't even concern them. Nigeria flag is flying low in Saudi because our Presido is a christian (unbeliever). So operation pull him down by any means. Ha ha ha!

Katsumoto: Its not scarcity as such; the men marry the girls at 9 and divorce them at 17 so as to marry other 9 year olds.

In North, their religion support divorce, no crime just keep a maximum of 4 and be recycling them from the younger stock. 9 yrs things.