JOHESU had said after its meeting with government on Saturday that it suspended the nationwide strike in principle; till it holds the meeting of its National Executive Council (NEC) meeting of Tuesday.
But addressing a press conference in Abuja on Sunday, JOHESU, led by its National Chairman, Comrade Josiah Biobelemoye, said their members would only go back to work if the Federal Government fulfilled parts of the agreement reached as promised by Tuesday.
“Consequently, the organs of the various unions in JOHESU are expected to hold a special meeting on or before Tuesday, the 3rd of October, 2017 with a view to bringing the content of the Memorandum of Terms of settlement to the notice of their members for the suspension of the strike action,” the JOHESU chairman said.
He, however, stated that there was a particular circular the Federal Government had given the commitment to issue by Tuesday, which the leadership of JOHESU intends to take along to their meeting as evidence of serious on the part of the government.
He said the union meeting with the Federal Government held on Saturday was a follow-up to an earlier meeting to further consider the demands of the unions which led to the strike action embarked upon by JOHESU.
Present at the meeting were the Hon. Minister of State for Labour and Employment, the Permanent Secretary, FMoH, The Chairman, National Salaries, Incomes, and Wages Commission, Representative of the Head of Civil Service of the Federation and Other relevant government functionaries.
On the issue of Internship Training, the Federal Ministry of Health is to meet with the various regulatory bodies within two weeks with a view to working out the modalities for the central placement of other professionals.
A circular for the implementation of the appointment of the Nurses interns will be also be released within one week by the government.
Though Comrade Biobelemoye did not mention the particular circular the government is expected to release by Tuesday, but Nigeria Tribune learned that it is connected with a circular already issued by some Chief Medical Directors (CMDs) to threaten JOHESU members to resume or be sacked.
In the circular, already in circulation, the CMDs threatened to recruit new nurses and other professionals and replace them with the striking JOHESU members.
This issue was said to have been discussed extensively at their closed-door meeting, while the JOHESU was able to get a serious commitment from the Federal Government, that a counter circular would be issued to the CMDs before Tuesday to neutralized the offensive circular.
The JOHESU was, therefore, holding to the commitment from the Federal Government to issue the counter circular, without which they vowed not to suspend or call off the strike.
Also, Comrade Biobelemoye frowned and condemned the brutality of JOHESU members at Irrua Specialist Teaching Hospital, Edo State.
He called for the immediate sack of the CMAC according to the public service rules.
He said: “The report of the harassment and physical assault of our members has been verified and JOHESU demands the immediate sack of the CMAC in accordance with the Public Service Rules as it amounts to serious misconduct.”
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