Joint Health Sector Unions & Assembly of Health Care Professionals Fallacious Misconception by the Honourable Minister of Health Prof. Isaac Adewele
President Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR
President & Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces
Aso Rock Villa
Abuja
Your Excellency,
FALACIOUS MISCONCEPTION BY THE HONOURABLE MINISTER OF HEALTH PROF. ISAAC ADEWOLE ON MISLEADING OF THE GENERAL PUBLIC THAT THERE WAS ON AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AND JOHESU
The leadership of the Joint Health Sector Unions (JOHESU) and all the health workers in Nigeria are not only surprised but shocked at the statement made by the Honourable Minister of Health that there was no agreement between the Federal Government and JOHESU. We stand by our word that there was an agreement between the Federal Government and JOHESU.
Your Excellency Sir, we humbly wish to inform you that on September 30th 2017, at the Ministers’ Conference Room of the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment, an-18-point agreement between the Federal Ministry of Health and the Joint Health Sector Unions was signed by the Honourable Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Adewole, Senator Dr. Chris Ngige, Honourable Minister of Labour and employment, High Chief R. 0. Egbule, Chairman National Salaries, Incomes and Wages commission (NSIWC), E. S. Audu, Office of Head of Civil Service of the Federation, on the part of Government, while members of the Joint Health Sector Unions signed for the unions.
Your Excellency Sir, we the members of JOHESU, are One hundred percent in support of your administration, especially in the area of fighting corruption, which has remained the albatross in driving health care delivery system in the country. One of the basic problems in the health sector is not only the lack of money to run our health system, but quite unfortunately the level of mismanagement and corruption in the Federal Ministry of Health has not only put the lie on the anti-corruption mantra of your administration, but also contributed to the inability of not just Your Government to bring health close to the people but even previous governments before yours.
A perfect example is the massive corruption that took place at the Federal Medical centre, Owerri, in support of your anti corruption and whistle blowing policy, our members blew the whistle in Owerri, eventually what we got has been a travesty of justice which resulted in the denial of four months salaries and promotion of our members. It is also on record that some very top officials of the Ministry of Health were about to buy off the Trauma Centre at the University of Abuja Teaching Hospital, Gwagwalada, when Honourable members of the House of Representatives stopped it via the whistle that at was blown by our members.
For the Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Adewole, to tell the Nigerian masses that there was no agreement between the Federal Government and JOHESU is an evidence that there are officials in the Federal Ministry of Health who are misinforming Your Excellency and therefore cause more problems for your administration and make things more problematic for you to achieve the desired result of your effort to make life better for the generality of the Nigerian people.
In the said memorandum, the following were part of the agreement signed by the Honourable Ministers of Health and Labour and Employment;
(1). Internship training
(2). The Upward Adjustment of CONHESS Salary Scale
(3). Skipping of CONHESS 10,
(4). Promotion Arrears
(5). Employment,
(6). Enhanced Entry point for Radiographers and Medical Laboratory Scientists
(7). Appointment of CMDs/MDs of Tertiary Hospitals in Accordance with Extant Laws.
(8). Headship of Department,
(9). Specialist Allowance
(10). Board Appointments
(11). Public private Partnership (PPP),
(12). Stagnation and Nomenclature also referred to as “Same Scale” Promotion,
(13). Federal Medical Centre, Owerri,
(14). Review of Retirement Age,
(15). Implementation of Court Judgments.
Your Excellency, Sir, We members of JOHESU humbly request that you look at the available facts attached and the initial efforts made by Prof. Isaac Adewole to address the crisis based on the agreement reached between the Federal Ministry of Health and the Joint Health Sector Unions via a letter dated 8th December, 2017, Ref. HMH/ABJ/194/41/30 addressed to Your Excellency Titled: RE: SALARY ADJUSTMENT FOR JOINT HEALTH SECTOR UNIONS. The first and second paragraphs speak for themselves. We kindly plead with you sir, to call the Honourable Minister of Health to stop painting your administration in bad light and promoting falsehood.
We support your administration and to make sure that you succeed in making life better for Nigerians, health wise. We shall be most grateful if Your Excellency will look into this matter and bring an immediate and permanent end to the conflict between the Federal Ministry of Health and our body, Joint Health Sector Unions (JOHESU)
Long Live Your Excellency!!!
Long Live the Federal Republic of Nigeria!!!
Long live JOHESU!!!
Signed:
Corn. Biobelemoye Joy Josiah
National Chairman, JOHESU
Corn. Ekpebor Florence
National Secretary, JOHESU