JOHESU Opposes Privatisation of Health Institutions

Urges FG to reverse no work, no pay rule on members

Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja

Health workers in the country have asked President Muhammadu Buhari not to accede to recommendations to privatise healthy sector entities.

The workers said they support the president’s stand against privatisation of critical sectors of the economy, adding that access to quality healthcare by Nigerians must not be for the highest bidder.

They also pleaded with the federal government to urgently reverse its action on no work, no pay meted out to its members who went on strike to protest against alleged corrupt practices taking place in the Federal Medical Centre in Owerri, Imo State.

The Chairman, JOHESU and National President of Medical and Health Workers Union of Nigeria, (MHWUN), Comrade Biobelemoye Josiah made the position of the workers known during a courtesy visit by the Accountant General of the Federation, Ahmed Idris at the headquarters of the union in Abuja recently.

He used the opportunity to plead with the federal government to rescind its decision to implement the no work, no pay policy on its members during the strike action they embarked upon last year.

Josiah who defended the action of the union, said what they are pushing was to expose corruption in the health sector and that government should not use it to punish the helpless workers.

On the issue of privatisation of the health sector, Josiah said what is required to achieve the utmost target of better health for Nigerians is the elimination of corruption in the sector and not privatisation which will only hand it over to greedy and selfish operators.

“We stand by our position that privatisation is not the solution to the problems of the health sector, rather corruption is the main issue. Tackling corruption in the health system will definitely bring back life and vibrancy into our government hospitals and health facilities.

Describing the accountant general as a man of humility, Josiah also spoke on the achievement recorded by MHWUN, saying that the past and present leadership of the union has prudently applied monies realised from worker’s check-off dues to invest in rewarding ventures.

In his remark, Idris praised the wisdom of the union in investing its fund in profitable and beneficial projects.

He assured the union that he would use his connections to see how their request for assistance and resolution of the problem resulting from the no work, no pay policy can be addressed.