The Kogi chapter of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) has
directed its members to embark on an indefinite strike over government’s
failure to pay doctors’ salaries.
A communique jointly signed by
its Chairman, Dr. Tijani Godwin, and Secretary, Dr. Zubair Kabiru, after
an emergency congress on Tuesday in Lokoja, said that the strike would
commence on Wednesday.
The NMA expressed disappointment over
government’s inability to pay the doctors’ salaries and arrears as
agreed two months ago, and wondered why it was difficult for government
to fulfill basic commitments.
“We have presented our demands to
government, but none has been met; we are left with no other option than
to go on strike,” the association said.
The
medical doctors frowned at government’s refusal to clear nine doctors
during the screening exercise even after they provided all necessary
documents, and also decried the consistent deductions in their salaries
and arrears.
The association advised doctors intending to pick up
employment with the Kogi Government to be “very cautious” as many of
their colleagues were owed huge sums.
The News Agency of Nigeria
(NAN) reports that the NMA embarked on a warning strike in December,
2016 but suspended the action after government promised to pay their
salaries.
Government, however, reneged on that promise, forcing the doctors to abandon the hospitals again.
No comments:
Post a Comment