Health workers strike: JOHESU, Saraki meet again today

By Ikechukwu Okaforadi and Musa Adamu

The Senate President, Bukola Saraki, will today resume meeting with the leadership of the striking Joint Health Sector Union (JOHESU), as part of mediation between the health workers and federal government, towards resolving the industrial action embarked on by the union.
According to a statement released yesterday by the Media Office of the Senate President, the meeting would hold in Saraki’s office at 3pm.
Recall that last week, Saraki met with JOHESU over the ongoing strike action by the workers, during which he also met with the Ministers of Labour and Productivity , as well as that of Health, Chris Ngige and Isaac Adewole.
The statement reads: “As a follow-up to his mediation between Joint Health Sector Unions (JOHESU) and the Federal Government, President of the Senate, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki, is set to meet with the leadership of JOHESU tomorrow (Monday) at 3pm at his office in the Senate.
“Last week, Saraki began mediating in the ongoing strike action that has crippled Nigeria’s healthcare facilities for the past 40 days, with a meeting with JOHESU officials on Thursday afternoon, and the Ministers in charge of the Labour and Health Ministries, Dr. Chris Ngige and Prof. Issac Adewole, on Friday morning.
“Since the discussions initiated by the Senate President, it is believed that government has improved on its offers to the striking health workers.
“If it is true that government has improved on its offers to JOHESU, it will be desirable for the health workers to also stretch out a hand of fellowship (in good faith) to meet the government mid-way and accept the offer, so that we can finally resolve this matter and have a win-win situation for the union, the government and the Nigerian people who make use of our public health institutions,” the statement said.