Kogi doctors suspend strike for 2 weeks

DOCTORS under the auspice of the Nigerian Medical association (NMA), Kogi State chapter, on Saturday, suspended their strike action for two weeks.

The suspension of the industrial action was fallout of the intervention of prominent citizens and stakeholders in the state and to give room for further consultations by the people

The association had about two weeks ago commenced an indefinite strike following the failure of the state government to meet their demands, which include payment salaries and arrears, underpayment of salaries to some of their members, over taxation, and failure to elevate doctors who are due for promotions.

The NMA in a statement by its chairman, Dr Godwin Tijani, explained that the strike action was suspended as a mark of honour to major key stakeholders in the state such as, the Attah of Igala, Micheal Ameh Oboni, the NMA national president, Prof Mike Ogirima and the chairman Kogi State house of assembly committee on health, Dr Friday Alih, who pleaded with the association to call off their strike to enable them intervene.

Tijani stated that the association had agreed to suspend the strike for two weeks to enable the personalities and stakeholders mediate with the government on the way forward.

He said, “This decision to suspend the strike was unanimously taken at the Ordinary General Meeting (OGM) of the association held at NUJ press centre, Lokoja.

“We are going back to work for the sake of our patients despite some of our members not being paid salary for 5-15months, underpayment of salary of some of our member who have being paid, no commitment from government of Revised CONMESS and relativity and lack of promotion of our members.

“Many of us are being sent out of our accommodation because we can’t pay rent, our children are being sent out of schools, we can’t feed our family and many of us trek to work. Since our Royal Father the Attah of Igala, NMA National President and our honourable members in the state house of assembly have requested the association to suspend and give them time to intervene, we have no choice than to honour them.

“We will reconvene in two weeks to decide on the way forward if no positive progresses are not made and our demand is not met. Nobody is afraid of sack or no work no pay policy. We are suspending the strike to honour those whom honour is due.”

The NMA chairman however appealed to the people to prevail on the state government to address the doctors’ grievances to avoid plunging the health sector into another round of industrial action in the next two weeks if nothing positive is achieved.