Implement primary health care Act – Kogi Labour tells Yahaya Bello

The Organised Labour in Kogi State on Monday appealed to the state Governor, Yahaya Bello to ensure the implementation of the Act that established primary health care (PHC) under one roof.

The State Chairman, Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) Comrade Gabriel Amari made the call at the occasion of the 2023 MAY DAY celebration held at General Muhammadu Buhari Square, Lokoja.

According to him, the Act the governor accented to in 2020 to bring together all Primary Health Care workers in the Local Government under one roof remained stalled.

“May be an executive fiat from you is required to implement the Act without further delays. Your Excellency, the Organised Labour is worried about the disparities in the salary of state health workers. Presently, the state health sector is operating on the Revised Consolidated Health Salary Structure (CONHESS). However, your Excellency, it may interest you to know that, salaries vary from one health institution to another within the state

“Kogi State Specialist Hospital, Kogi State University Teaching Hospital and Health Management Board are all on different salaries. Salary harmonization in the health sector would ensure equity and morale-boosting for the health workers.

The State Labour Chairman commend the governor for the prompt payment of pensions and the monthly disbursement of the N100 Million for the settlement of Retirees at state-level gratuities.

“The fund is far over-stretched and inadequate for the numerous retiring Workers joining the cue of yet-to-be-paid gratuity.

“Your Excellency, the situation has degenerated to the extent that retirees wait as long as eleven years to access their gratuities, while others never received their gratuities before their death. Given this development, we appeal for an increase in the monthly allocated fund, also, the government should constitute a committee to ensure equitable disbursement of the allocations. In the same vein we enjoin the government to approach the capital market for loans to pay the large backlog of gratuities.

“Your Excellency, we plead with you on behalf of the Local government retirees to direct the authority in charge to restore the monthly release of funds for the payment of gratuities so that they can be at the same level as their state counterparts. It is a known fact that the high cost of goods and services impacts negatively on the workers; the pre-2002 retirees are affected more because their pension is meagre compared to post-2002 retirees. Based on the need to ensure equity in the system, we appeal to you to harmonise all pensions in the state under the extant laws.”