Following due consultation and appeals from prominent stakeholders, the Kogi State chapter of the Nigeria Medical Association (NMA) has suspended its strike action for two weeks.
In a statement signed by its Chairman, Dr. Godwin Tijani, the suspension of the industrial action is a mark of honour for major stakeholders in the state such as the Attah of Igala, HRM Michael Ameh Oboni II, Dr. Friday Alih, Chairman Kogi State House Committee on Health, the NMA National President, Prof Mike Ogirima and other elders who pleaded with the association to call off its strike to enable them intervene in the current problems between Kogi State government and NMA.
According to Dr Tijani, NMA has agreed to suspend her strike for 2 weeks to enable the above mentioned personalities and stakeholders to mediate with the government on the way forward.
“This decision to suspend the strike was unanimously taken at the Ordinary General Meeting (OGM) of the association held at NUJ press centre, Lokoja.
“We are going back to work for the sake of our patients despite the fact that some of our members have not being paid salary for five to fifteen months, underpayment of salary of some of our members who have being paid, no commitment from government of Revised CONMESS and relativity and lack of promotion of our members.
“Many of us are being sent out of our accommodation because we cannot pay rent, our children are being sent out of schools, we cannot feed our families and many of us trek to work. Since our royal father, the Attah of Igala, NMA National President and our honourable members in the State House of Assembly have requested the association to suspend her strike and give them time to intervene, we have no choice than to honour them.
“We will reconvene in 2 weeks to decide on the way forward if no positive progress are made and our demands are not met. Nobody is afraid of sack or the ‘no work no pay’ policy. We are suspending the strike to honour those whom honour is due”, the statement read.
Dr Tijani, however, appealed to the general public and well meaning individuals to prevail on Kogi State government to do the needful and address the doctors’ grievance to avoid plunging the health sector to another round of industrial action in the next 2 weeks if nothing positive is achieved.
