MDCAN Threatens Indefinite Strike over Review of CONMESS for Medical Lecturers

Seriki Adinoyi in Jos

Medical and Dental Consultants Association of Nigeria (MDCAN) has called on the federal government to direct federal and state universities to commence the payment of emolument of Medical and Dental Clinical Lecturers and doctors in public service  with Consolidated Medical Salary Scale, (CONMESS) as stated in the revised circular of July 2023, warning that failure to do so may attract indefinite strike action.

In a communique issued in Jos at the end of its emergency virtual National Executive Council (NEC) meeting, MDCAN also urged government to immediately release a circular on the increased retirement age of medical and dental consultants to 70 years to cover for the shortage of manpower in tertiary health institutions in the country.

The communiqué which was jointly signed by the President and secretary of the association, Prof. Mohammad Aminu Mohammad and Dr Daiyabu Alhaji Ibrahim, respectively, also demanded the implementation of the upward review of CONMESS, adding that the upward review should take into consideration the impacts of the fuel subsidy removal and the high inflationary trend that is currently being experienced.

MDCAN also expressed worries over near absence of information concerning one of its members Prof. Philip Ephraim who was kidnapped and has been in captivity for close to four months, urging the government and security agencies to declassify information on the state and whereabouts of the kidnapped Professor with a view to bringing succor to the family and colleagues.

The Consultants warned that failure of government to meet the demands will leave MDCAN with no alternative other than to embark on an indefinite strike by the end of January 2024 after their NEC meeting coming up in Uyo.