…as Health Workers allege victimization through “No Work, No Pay” Policy

By Johnbosco Agbakwuru

ABUJA – ACCOUNTANT General of the Federation, Ahmed Idris has averted another round of strike by the Medical and Health Workers Union of Nigeria, MHWUN.

This is as the union has accused the federal government of victimizing some of its members despite their support for President Muhammadu Buhari’s anti-corruption policy.

The Joint Health Sector Unions, JOHESU had threatened to go on strike over the alleged refusal of government to pay April and May salaries in fulfillment of the government policy of, no work, no pay.

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Speaking when he paid an unscheduled visit to the MHWUN at its headquarters in Abuja, the AGF supported the workers plea to President Buhari to srop the plans to privatize the health sector.

He said that the present administration will continue to encourage all those who support the campaign against corruption.

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Speaking at the visit, the National President of the union, Biobelemoye Josiah who cited the case of Federal Medical Centre, Owerri in Imo state, claimed that the government was victimizing them with the implementation of “no work, no pay” policy because the union blew the whistle the alleged fraud by the management of the Centre.

Recall that the union and the management of FMC Owerri have have been at loggerheads over the reinstatement of Dr. Angela as the Chief Medical Director Uwakwem by the federal government.

This according to the union was responsible for the withholding of the April-May, 2018 salaries of the workers, particularly those who embarked on strike to protest her recall.

Josiah cautioned that they may be compelled to resume their industrial action, if the government continued being biased against the union.

The MHWUN President also alleged that there were discreet moves by the government to privatize public health institutions in the country, saying they would mobilise their members to resist it at all cost.

His words, “some of our members are being victimized for protesting against the re-instatement of the CMD of FMC Owerri, because we blew the whistle to expose all her atrocities, I don’t see where we have gone wrong because the President has been an advocate for anti-corruption and we have simply keyed in by exposing one at FMC, Owerri.

“It will be most unfair when some of our members’ salaries are being withheld unjustly, while in this same country, we know unions which had gone on strike and all their salaries were paid.

“We are also opposed to moves to privatize public health institutions because we know privatization is not the solution, rather elimination of corruption from the system.

“We have indices of how public health institutions run abroad, but in Nigeria over 78percent of health institutions are privately owned yet we still brandish poor health statistics”.