Anxiety As OAUTHC Clinical Staff Embark On Strike On Feb 3rd Over Unpaid Salary

By Rukayat Adigun, Osogbo 

The leadership of the Medical and Dental Consultants’ Association, Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospital, Ile-Ife, Osun State, on Thursday said its members will commence industrial action on 3rd February, 2025 as directed by the Southwest Zone of the association.

MDCAN in a statement jointly signed by its Chairman Dr Olufemi Ogundipe and the General Secretary, Dr. Tajudin Adetunji said the strike notice followed the 21-day ultimatum given to the Vice Chancellors of Universities in the zone for placement of Clinical Lecturers on the Consolidated Medical Salary Scale (CONMESS) as obtains in all medical colleges in Nigerian universities.

The Association, demanded immediate commencement of CONMESS salary structure for Clinical Lecturers, noting that the union could no longer tolerate huge disparity in emoluments and several years of income loss due to non-implementation of CONMESS in OAU. 

“We are demanding immediate payment of CONMESS to all clinical lecturers in OAU to save the future of medical education in the foremost citadel of learning. 

“While calling on the management of OAU to act swiftly, the Association lamented the dearth of clinical lecturers and dwindling fortunes of medical education in the country, and blamed the development on the nonchalant attitude of the authorities to challenges ravaging the nation’s health sector.”

Amidst the strike notice, the fate of final-year dental students of OAU now hangs in the balance.  

A clinical lecturer at the university, who preferred anonymity to avoid victimisation, while speaking to journalists on the likely implications of the strike, said “the Dental final year examination commenced on Monday and will be badly affected by the strike urgent measures are not taken to avert it.

“Other professional exams scheduled to hold in February may also be in jeopardy. Our resolve as an association is to go ahead with the strike. And with that position, the effects on students’ examination and other academic activities exercise is better imagined than experienced.”