The Lagos State Chairman of the Nigerian
Medical Association, Dr. Tope Ojo, has given the Lagos State government a
21-day ultimatum within which to pay the August and September 2014
salaries of doctors under its employ or face strike.
It will be recalled that the Lagos State
Government had withheld the emoluments of its doctors for the month of
August and September under its no work, no pay policy when doctors in
its employ participated in a nationwide strike called by the national
leadership of the NMA.
He stated, “The Medical Guild will
proceed to withdraw their services after the expiration of the 21-day
ultimatum, if all issues are not resolved. The Lagos NMA will withdraw
its services from all institutions in the state seven days if all issues
remain unresolved.
“We strongly advise that the state
government should embrace amicable resolution of our demands to avoid
impending crisis in the heath sector of the state.”
He said that all the states of the
federation and the FCT had complied with the general agreement that
salaries should be paid to doctors who participated in the NMA strike
for peace and further negotiations except the Lagos State.
Ojo noted that only doctors were been
singled out for the no work , no pay policy of the government as members
of the other professional associations including the Academic Staff
Union were paid their salaries in spite of the fact that they had
embarked on a six-month nationwide strike last year.
He noted, “The Academic Staff Union of
Universities, Lagos State University chapter, lecturers in the state
polytechnic and judiciary workers in the state did not suffer the same
fate following the suspension of their industrial action last year.
Their salaries were not withheld. We don’t want to believe that the
governor is being unfair to doctors.”
Ojo said that the association had met
with the House of Assembly, the Commissioner for Health and had sent
several letters to the governor for a peaceful resolution all to no
avail.
Source: MWN
