You Have Been Induced By Looters, Northern Youths Berates JOHESU

By Babawale Olalekan, Jos

The Northern Youths Forum has berated the Joint Health Sector Unions and Assembly of Health Care Professionals (JOHESU) on what they tagged unnecessary prolonged strike alleging that the union has been induced and that the industrial action has been politicised.

NYF leaders Addresing the media

The Forum said this during a press conference held in Jos, Plateau state capital today, Wednesday noting that intervention by recognised national, political and religious leaders including the leadership of the national assembly should have resolved the crisis if not for political reasons while urging the union to suspend the strike immediately.

In a statement signed by the Coordinator of the group, Abdullahi Maimuna said, “While we share in the general belief that worker’s welfare, including condition of service, salaries and other emoluments should be the utmost of their employer, we are bound to dissociate from the premeditated and politically sponsored strike by JOHESU which was wickedly designed to punish poor and innocent Nigerians, all in a bid to score undue political points.

“At first, we thought JOHESU owing to the specialized services they offer within the healthcare sector which include protection and preservation of human lives and the oath of allegiance most of the active participants in the strike have sworn to especially, the nurses and pharmacists would have allowed commonsense and reason to prevail by responsibly channeling their grievances professionally in order to avoid colossal damage through death of citizens of this great republic, as such, we immediately call for a logical review of their industrial action in order to save lives and in the interest of national survival, we urge JOHESU to suspend the strike action with immediate effect”.

The group alleged that the union is holding the country into ransom for ethnic and political reasons.

“Information has it that JOHESU want to continue to hold the entire country into ransom for undue political advantage.

The major demand by JOHESU for the same salary structure with doctors in not reasonable, logical, presentable and it is totally unacceptable. The strike action borders on the leadership in the hospital and pay parity with medical doctors. Globally, remuneration of workers is based on professional qualifications, relevance, input to work, international best practices among some other factors.

“All allied healthcare professionals only act on patients upon the directive of the doctor which is the concept of clinical governance and which is acceptable as the best practice worldwide until the birth of JOHESU. The bitter truth about this imbroglio is assuming a total different dimension as those in the forefront of JOHESU are playing tribal and ethnic game; as such we are perturbed that the welfare and well-being of Nigerians can be toyed with, using ethnic colouration. We have it on good authority that funding for the continuous sustainability of the strike is coming from certain part of the country”.

NYF berated the union for flouting court order and call on the Minister for Justice and Attorney General of the Federation to charge the leadership of the union.

“It is totally unexplainable how a court order, which was duly sought and served, will be flouted by JOHESU. More embarrassing is the ignorance displayed by JOHESU, saying they have appealed the court order. It is absolutely illegal and unheard of, to file an appeal challenging an ex-parte order. Ex-parte order can only be vacated. We use this medium to call on the Attorney General and Minister of Justice Abubakar Malami (SAN) to charge leadership of JOHESU extraction for contempt of court”.

The group admonished the management of all the medical facilities to lay off all erring members who have refused to report for duty as mandated by the Industrial court stating that, “this lawlessness must stop now”.

The Forum called on President Muhammadu Buhari to take decisive action on the union.

“It is high time that President, Muhammadu Buhari took decisive action against self – seeking unions like JOHESU who are hell bent on impeding the growth of our economy, render our health invaluable and take the bull by the horn by stamping his feet against lawlessness and impunity”.

“From all indications and available reports, there was no agreement between the Federal Government and JOHESU prior to the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari. We have been made to understand that what JOHESU brandished as 2014 agreement were minutes of meetings they had with representatives of Federal Government.

“In September 2017, JOHESU presented 15-point demand and the Federal Government has implemented 14 while the last demand is still been attended to by the High Level Body set up by the government to look into its implementation. But what JOHESU is asking for is parity with medical doctors which is not practicable nor acceptable to the Federal Government. A cursory look at the salary tables in the health sector before and after Independence till date have always reflected relativity. JOHESU has no doubt assumed fully the position of opposition party in Nigeria”, she concluded.