… As JOHESU accuses health minister of bias

The Joint Health Sector Union (JOHESU) says the Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Adewole, has constituted himself as a major hindrance to fruitful deliberations towards ending their strike. Mr Josiah Biobelemoye, Chairman of the union, said this in a statement on Friday in Abuja. “The Federal Ministry of Health presently led by Prof. Isaac Adewole […]

The Joint Health Sector Union (JOHESU) says the Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Adewole, has constituted himself as a major hindrance to fruitful deliberations towards ending their strike.

Mr Josiah Biobelemoye, Chairman of the union, said this in a statement on Friday in Abuja.

“The Federal Ministry of Health presently led by Prof. Isaac Adewole has constituted itself as a major hindrance to fruitful deliberation as he has never disguised his intention to symbolise the propaganda machine of the Nigerian Medical Associations (NMA) through his posturing at all our meetings.

“This posture has necessitated JOHESU to take a position that the negotiations were structured to fail ab-initio,’’ the statement read in part.

He noted that Adewole insisted that the wage structure in the health sector must reckon with what was obtainable in 1991 by late Prof. Olukoye Ransome, which has to do with dual salary system (MSS and HSS).

According to him, that salary system marked the beginning of persistent acrimony until it was corrected through the Harmonised Tertiary Institutions Salary Structure (HATISS) and HAPSS in 2003.

He accused the ministers of labour and health, both members of NMA, for taking a position that parity must entail a basic salary differential in the emolument of health professionals and their doctor colleagues.

“On May 15, 2018, JOHESU came up with a comprehensive presentation to graphically showcase the realities of the various salary scales in the Health Sector from 1977 till date.

“Even when the reality on ground shows that a fresh doctor presently enters the public service on CONMESS 3 which is the equivalent of Grade Level 13 with take home monthly package of N313,000.00 per month,

“The closest in line who are health professionals enter public service on CONHESS 9, which is equivalent to GL 10.

“With a package of N161,670.00 with a proposal to have an adjustment that takes him to a total emolument of N190,000.00.

“The two ministers who are members of NMA have taken positions that these health professionals seek parity with doctors. In mathematical terms this is a significant 61 per cent differential,” he said.