With its 21-day ultimatum set to expire on July 23, the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) has issued a stern warning that medical services across the country could soon grind to a halt if the Federal Government fails to address its demands.
Speaking exclusively to our correspondent on Sunday, NMA President, Professor Bala Audu, declared that the association is ready to take decisive measures should the government continue to ignore its concerns.
Professor Audu emphasised that the issues raised by the association are crucial not only for the welfare of medical professionals but also for the survival of Nigeria’s fragile healthcare system.
The ultimatum, issued on July 2, was triggered by a controversial circular from the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission announcing revised allowances for medical and dental officers in federal service. The NMA strongly opposed the new policy, arguing that it breached previously established agreements.
The association has demanded that the Federal Government immediately withdraw the circular and meet its other outstanding demands to prevent an impending industrial action that could cripple healthcare services nationwide.
“We have made our position clear. The ultimatum ends on July 23, and if the Federal Government does not address our demands, we may have no choice but to proceed with a strike,” he said.
According to him, the circular contains provisions that were not mutually agreed upon and which undermine the remuneration and welfare of medical professionals.
“We have rejected that circular outright. We expect that any new directive affecting our members should be the outcome of mutual consultation, not something imposed,” he stated.
Prof Audu disclosed that the NMA had been engaging with the Federal Government to avert a crisis.
“The last meeting happened two weeks ago and the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof Muhammad Pate; the Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr Iziaq Salako; the Permanent Secretary, the Director of Hospital Services, and the representative of minister of labour were at the meeting, and some affiliate of the NMA were present, and I was part of that meeting as well.
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“The minister appreciated us, then he spoke about the issues as contained in the list of demands from the NMA.
“However, he felt that we should go for a further meeting, and another meeting was slated for last week, unfortunately, in the week, we lost the former President Muhammadu Buhari, so the meeting couldn’t be held.
Professor Bala Audu, President of the Nigerian Medical Association, has emphasised that the next round of crucial negotiations must include the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission – the body behind the contentious circular – as well as officials from the Ministries of Finance and Health.
He described the circular as “obnoxious”, reiterating the association’s outright rejection of its contents.
Expressing urgency, Professor Audu warned that time was quickly slipping away. Without a meeting convened in the coming days to resolve the impasse, he said, the association could be forced to embark on industrial action as a last resort to defend the interests of medical professionals nationwide.