…issue 15 day ultimatum to state government to resolve lingering issues

By Ibrahim Sherifd (Gold)

The National Association of Nigerian Nurses and Midwives Kwara state council have issued the state government a 15-day ultimatum, saying they will commence an indefinite strike over outstanding welfare issues with the union.

It would be recalled that Medical Practitioners in public health facilities in Kwara state under the aegis of National Association of Government General Medical and Dental Practitioners (NAGGMDP) had  on Monday, also embarked on a seven-day warning strike across the 16 local government areas of the state over a disagreement with government on their demands.

The Nurses’ union gave this notice in a communique issued and jointly signed by the chairman comrade Aminu Shehu and secretary comrade Markus Luka at the end of an emergency congress held the union secretariat today in ilorin.

The union said the ultimatum was necessitated by the non-challant attitude of the state government to the plight of its members bordering on nurses welfare and insecurity, renumeration and promotion, gross shortage of personnel among others.

The statement accused the government of deliberately turned a blind eye to the association’s plight on the 100 percent upward review and immediate implementation of the 2019 enhanced CONHESS payment scheme inspite of several negotiations.

The union also observed that the government has since 2018 caused division among its members for not implementing the previously agreed 10 percent salary increment for the local government nurses.

The union however warmed that the refusal of the government to meet it’s demands within 15 days from today will force the nurses to withdraw their services from all healthcare facilities across the state.