Nurses Sue Health Minister, AGF, Others Over New Compulsory Verification Rule

Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja

Some aggrieved nurses have dragged the Minister of Health and Social Welfare Muhammad Ali Pate; the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF), Lateef Fagbemi; the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria (NMCN) to court over the implementation of a new certificate verification guidelines.

The Nurses and Midwifery Council had published a circular on February 7, 2024, updating the procedures for obtaining certification verification for midwives and nurses.

Under the new regulation, candidates who want their certifications from international nursing boards and councils verified must have two years post-qualification experience from the day the permanent practice licence was issued.

The revised regulations came into effect on March 1, 2024. However, in the suit marked NICN/ABJ/ 76/2024 before the National Industrial Court sitting in Abuja, the plaintiffs, Kelvin Ossai; Catherine Olatunji-Kuyoro; Desmond Aigbe; Tamunoibi Berry; Olumide Olurankinse, Osemwengie Osagie; Idowu Olabode and Abiola Olaniyan, urged the court to prevent the defendants or their representatives from enforcing the NMCN circular.

In addition, the nurses sought for an injunction to stop the implementation of the new standards pending the adjudication of the suit.

Among the reliefs sought by the nurses was for the Court to grant, “An interlocutory order restraining the Council from the implementation of the “Revised Guidelines for Verification of Certificate(s) as planned on March 7, 2024, and as indicated on the 2nd Defendant’s circular dated February 7, 2024 pending the hearing and determination of the Claimants/Applicants Originating Summons in this suit.”

When the suit came up for hearing yesterday, the plaintiffs’ lawyer, Ode Evans, informed the court that he had only received the first and second defendants’ preliminary objections.

He, therefore, pleaded with the judge to adjourn the case so he could respond to their requests.

The Judge, Osatohanmwen Obaseki-Osaghae, granted the plea and adjourned the case till May 20 for a hearing.

Obaseki-Osaghae ordered that the AGF and the Federal Ministry of Health, not represented by counsel in Court, be notified of the hearing.

Speaking to reporters shortly after  the adjournment of the case, the Plaintiff’s lawyer, Ode, said the nurses were in court because they were uncomfortable with the new verification guidelines.

“We told the court that we wanted to look at those applications because we had been served in court, so the court adjourned this matter to May 20 to enable us to react to those issues raised,” he stated.

According to Ode, the nurses are seeking the complete withdrawal of the guidelines because they considered it a violation of their rights.

Also speaking at the court premises, a representative of the nurses, Fawole Isreal, described the policy as flawed and an infringement of the fundamental human rights of professional nurses.

“We are asking the court to, by default, return the verification process to the status code so that nurses in Nigeria can seek opportunities, especially to expand the scope of practice,” Israel stated.

The nurses had earlier protested in Abuja and Lagos against the Midwifery Council’s new verification certification guidelines.

The Abuja protest, which took place at the headquarters of NMCN’s office, was against the new verification guidelines released by the Council.