Patrick Ekpoh, Uyo
The Joint Health Sector Unions of Akwa Ibom State have given Governor Udom Emmanuel 15 days ultimatum to reinstate 720 local government staff sacked last year by state government, majority of which were health workers.
The Unions in a statement jointly signed by the chairman of the state chapter of the National Association of Nigerian Nurses and Midwives comrade Patrick Odu, the chairman of the Medical and Health workers Union of Nigeria, Godwin Archibong and the chairman of the Nigeria Union of Allied Health Professionals, Aniebiet Abasi Obot, decried government’s insensitivity to the plights of health workers in the state.
According to the statement which was made available to newsmen on Tuesday in Uyo, the Unions called on the state government to release the circular for the implementation of the already agreed 80% of the national consolidated health salary structure (CONHESS)
The health workers also called for a review of the health hazards allowance to the minimum of 50% of their salaries, describing the present allowance of N3, 500 as the least in the country.
ALSO READ: Flood Sacks 300 Residents, Destroys 100 Houses In Akwa Ibom
They further called for recruitment of more health workers to augment the short fall occasioned by death and retirement, warning that if the above demands are not met, they would have no option than to embark on indefinite strike beginning from June, 30, 2020.
The statement reads in part, “We condemn strong terms government’s insensitivity to the plights of the health workers who are the least paid in the country, by refusing to implement the consolidated health salary structure (CONHESS).
“We called on Akwa Ibom State government to release without delay the circular for the implementation of the already agreed 80% of the national consolidated health salary structure by the sub-committee on the implementation of CONHESS in Akwa Ibom State since Thursday, February, 20, 2020.
“The present hazards allowance of JOHESU in Akwa Ibom State is a paltry sum of N3, 500 monthly, which is also the least in Nigeria. We therefore demand for a review of the hazards allowance to the minimum of 50% of our basic salary.
“We call on the government to recruit more health workers into the health sector because of the short fall occasioned by death and retirement.
“The Unions therefore demand the immediate reinstatement of the sacked 720 local government workers, which majority were health workers.
“JOHESU in the state is left with no alternative whatsoever than to give Akwa Ibom State Government 15 days ultimatum beginning from Monday, June, 15, 2020 to accede to the above legitimate demands, failure which an indefinite industrial action would commence on 12noon Tuesday, 30, June, 2020.”
