Association of Borno State Doctors threatens to shut down medical system

THE Association of Borno State Doctors, ABSD, has vowed to shut down the medical system in the state by downing tools if the government does not pay them their legitimate arrears owed them since 2014.

The group led by Dr Bukar Abagana, on Monday gave the government a twenty-one days ultimatum to implement the revised Consolidated Medical Salary Structure, CONMESS, “skipping and relativity allowances” with effect from 2014 as agreed.

The doctors noted that at a time like this when doctors across the federation were downing tools over this vexed issue, Borno State doctors out of empathy to the people under the pangs of the insurgency had refused to join them for four years hoping that the government will see reason and grant their request.

“However, four years down the line, there was no single acknowledgement for the pile of correspondences sent to the government and all avenues for dialogue were exhausted to no avail.

“Consequently upon this, the association has no option than to issue an ultimatum from 8th January to 5th February 2018 for the government to address the above subject with arrears from 2014 failing which the association cannot guarantee industrial harmony,” said Bukar.

The chairman who briefed newsmen in the NUJ press centre said that he was speaking for about a hundred and fifty-eight doctors in the service of the government who have become disenchanted about the four-year wait for their allowances which other colleagues in other states government services were already enjoying.

Reacting to the development, Commissioner of health Haruna Mshelia told newsmen later that he was aware of the pending arrears which run into millions and agreed it was the right of the doctors to get.

Dr Mshelia, however, assured the doctors that the government will surely pay them their entitlements as soon as the verification committee is done with their work and have submitted the list of the real pay role of doctors in the state.

“The Governor has assured that he will pay the backlog of allowances as soon as possible. The only clog in the wheels of the government right now is the biometric verification going on. As soon as that is done, they will be paid.

“As a matter of fact, I believe that the committee on verification will be done as soon as next week from all indications. The doctors in Borno works harder than most doctors in other climes so they will be taken care of as soon as the governor is done, with the ongoing biometric verification. “

On the amount involved, Meshelia revealed that because of the verification going on, nobody knows the total amount but whatever is due to them shall get to them including the backlog for anyone that has retired and was in service by 2014.

Several doctors have left the service of the state government joining non-governmental organisations and the federal establishments in the metropolis where juicy living wages are paid to them.

Chief medical director of the hospital management board Salihu Kwayabura have been clamping down seriously on humanitarian agencies which have been poaching their willing medical staff due to the extremely poor condition of services offered since the advent of Boko Haram.