JOHESU Issues 15-Day Ultimatum For Recall Of 720 A’Ibom Sacked LG Workers »

Uyo- The Joint Health Sector Unions of Akwa Ibom State has issued a 15-day ultimatum for Governor Udom Emmanuel to reinstate 720 local government staff sacked last year by the state government, majority of whom were health workers.

In a statement jointly signed by the chairman of the state chapter of the National Association of Nigerian Nurses and Midwives comrade Patrick Odu, the chairman of the Medical and Health workers Union of Nigeria, Godwin Archibong and the chairman of the Nigeria Union of Allied Health Professionals, Aniebiet Abasi Obot, the union groups decried what it described as government’s insensitivity to the plights of health workers in the state.

In the statement which was made available to newsmen in Uyo on Tuesday, the Unions called on the state government to release the circular for the implementation of the already agreed 80% of the national consolidated health salary structure (CONHESS).

The health workers also called for a review of the health hazards allowance to the minimum of 50% of their salaries, describing the present allowance of N3,500 as the least in the country.

They further called for recruitment of more health workers to augment the short fall occasioned by death and retirement, warning that if the above demands are not met, they would have no option than to embark on indefinite strike beginning from June, 30, 2020.

“We condemn strong terms government’s insensitivity to the plights of the health workers who are the least paid in the country,by refusing to implement the consolidated health salary structure (CONHESS).”

“We called on Akwa Ibom State government to release without delay the circular for the implementation of the already agreed 80% of the national consolidated health salary structure by the sub-committee on the implementation of CONHESS in Akwa Ibom State since Thursday, February, 20, 2020.”

“The present hazards allowance of JOHESU in Akwa Ibom State is a paltry sum of N3,500 monthly, which is also the least in Nigeria. We therefore demand for a review of the hazards allowance to the minimum of 50% of our basic salary.”

“We call on the government to recruit more health workers into the health sector because of the short fall occasioned by death and retirement. The Unions therefore demand the immediate reinstatement of the sacked 720 local government workers, which majority were health workers.”