By Tobias Lengnan Dapam
The President of the National Medical Association (NMA), Francis Adebayo has said that the association was not against the strike embarked upon by the Joint Health Sector Union (JOHESU), but its demand for pay parity with doctors.
Adefuye who stated this in a chat with Peoples Daily in Abuja, said “We are not against any union fighting for increase in wages. But we are against their demand for pay parity with doctors. Internationally, there is relativity and in Nigeria, it has eroded over the years. Doctors have been giving in and we got to a stage where we can give no longer. The last one we had was in 2014, where they had to plead with doctors to move from ratio 2.55 to 1. 5 and where doctors lost the relativity in the health officers level as well as medical officer and the senior medical officers level, JOHESU want everything to be in parity and we said no. International best practice everywhere in the world show that there is relativity and I can tell you that 1. 5 in Nigeria is the worst in the world.”
He said saner climes like; UK, US, Australia, France and even Ghana, allows for relativity.
“Relativity is everywhere in the world. The truth is always the truth. There is no parity anywhere in the world. We won’t succumb to black mail. The minister is telling them the truth.
“Let me ask, what extra work are cleaners, Clark, typist and others doing that makes them different from their counterparts in other ministries? It is only because they are in the medical environment. This is getting too much.”
He advised JOHESU to go and see what is happening everywhere in the world and stop what they are doing.
He said Nigerians should tell them the truth. “It is not about arm twisting the government. What do they bring to the table for the health of Nigerians. The answer is nothing”.
Meanwhile, JOHESU in a statement issued on Monday by its National Secretary, Com. Ekpebor Florence, said the Federal Ministry of Health and the Nigerian Medical Association are bent on thwarting the on-going nationwide action.
The statement said the body is embarking on various propaganda to frustrate JOHESU.
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