Grant tax rebate to Ogun doctors, NMA urges Gov Abiodun

The Nigeria Medical Association (NMA), Ogun State Branch, has urged Governor Dapo Abiodun, to grant tax rebate to doctors and other health workers in the state, to reduce migration for better emoluments.

Stating this on Tuesday, was the State Chairman of the branch, Dr Luqman Ogunjinmi, while addressing newsmen as part of activities to mark the 2025 Annual General Meeting of the association with the theme ‘Leveraging On Technology To Drive Medical Practice In The Era Of Dwindling Medical Personnel”, held at the NMA House, Abeokuta.

Ogunjinmi flanked by other executive members of the association said the action would encourage doctors to work with the state government, saying such would discourage brain drain.

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While commending the state government for approving the association’s demand for payment of salaries at par with their counterparts working for the federal government and some other states, and also the payment of residency training fund for 2024 and 2025 for doctors in the service of Olabisi Onabanjo University Teaching Hospital, Sagamu.

The Association also thanked the state government for the payment of the clinical duty allowance for the honorary consultants, as well as, payment of a court allowance.

Ogunjimi expressed the need for the state to address the issue of consequential adjustments for the medical doctors in line with the implementation of the new minimum wage.

The chairman also urged the state government to address concerns of the workers over the contributory pension scheme which is making the future of every government worker in the state look so bleak and uncertain.

The Association said, “It took more than 16 months of agitation for the government to implement the request that the doctors in the state should be paid according to their counterparts working with the federal government establishments and other states.

“But between this period we have what we called internal brain drain, like some doctors moving to other states or picking up jobs with federal government health institutions because the pay is better.

“Now that the government has implemented this demand, we have equally found out that the tax we are paying is on the higher side. We are hereby calling on the government to grant us a tax rebate just like it has been done by other states for healthcare workers.

“This is one thing that could also encourage the healthcare workers to stay back and keep serving the people. We are not saying that we aren’t going to pay tax but what is being taken from our salaries is simply too much and this challenge is also affecting people who are willing to stay behind and work”.

The association also expressed displeasure at cases of assault and cyberbullying attacks on its members, submitting that the association might be forced to take any unpleasant step towards any individual or group of people found guilty.