Metro
FG Faults Rejection of MoA by Resident Doctors
The Federal Government has faulted the National Association of Resident Doctors’ (NARD) rejection of the Memorandum of Action (MoA) signed on March 31 in spite of meeting the demands of the association.
The Minister of Labour and Employment, Sen.
Chris Ngige said this in a statement by Mr Charles Akpan, Deputy Director, Press and Public Relations of the ministry on Saturday in Abuja.The resident doctors had threatened to commence strike on April 1, alleging that the Federal Government had reneged in the agreements entered with the doctors.
The aggrieved doctors’ agitations include the non-payment of salaries of three to five months of some house officers and non-recruitment of house officers.
Others are abolishment of the bench fees for doctors undergoing training in other hospitals, non-payment of National Minimum Wage and hazard allowances.
Ngige said that government was faithful to the agreement entered with the aggrieved resident doctors by the President of NARD, Dr Uyilawa Okhuaihesu
Ngige said that the Federal Government had substantially met the demands of NARD.
He explained that some of the demands by NARD were made in error as some of the issues were already conciliated and implemented hundred per cent.
He, however, said that the outstanding issues which came up at the last conciliation were time- lined along a month life span of implementation, adding that they were still work in progress.
The minister, however, faulted the unilateral repudiation of the MoA by NARD’s President, describing it as unknown in labour negotiation.
“He did not participate in most of the discussions last Wednesday because he fell ill not quite after the meeting started and had to excuse himself.
”He handed over to his deputy, the Secretary-General and other officers of the association, who fully participated. We spent seven hours and by the time we put our signatures to the papers, it was eight hours.
“Disowning the MOA duly negotiated is unknown to labour. The two parties to the negotiation signed the MOA. Four officers from government and three from NARD signed the document.
”The president who was not at the meeting but fully represented by deputies went to NARD’s NEC and disowned the paper because they were signed by his deputy and secretary general.
”There is what is called transmission of power. He as the President fell sick and his deputies continued with the meeting. That’s allowed,” he said.
Ngige said that it was wrong for NARD to impose a fait accompli on the Federal Government while negotiation was ongoing.
According to him, when a trade dispute has been apprehended, no party imposes on the other, a fait accompli.
”We signed a memorandum that says NARD will go back to its members to educate them on what has been agreed, the timelines placed on them, with a view not to disturb the industrial milieu in the health sector.
”We also agreed to reconvene after four weeks, “the minister said.
The minister added that the four weeks was given to allow enough time to implement the issues in the timeline, some of which would take three weeks, before reconvening.
He further expressed disappointment that NARD made a detour and mobilised members into action on the Eastertide, when Christians were observing the holiest week in their universal calendar.
He dismissed as untrue, allegation that doctors in the public health institutions across the country, were not insured.
On this note, he said the Federal Government spent N13.3 billion in 2020, on Group Life Insurance not just for doctors and health workers but also for workers in the federal civil and public service.
He stated that the reason for the composite exercise was to stop a situation where ministries and agencies of government worked in silos in payment of death benefits to workers and with lapses in some cases.
“This N13.3b was paid to thirteen insurance companies and brokerage firms to administer.
“And this is not the first time that NARD and teaching hospitals have been told to send in names and make claims for members who have lost their lives.
“It is an insurance that runs for one year and it is still on till March that just ended and even at that, the new payment is now being processed, so that it becomes a continuous thing,” he said.
The minister added that NARD was again reminded of the development while signing an MoA on March 31, 2012 to put up claims through the Ministry of Health to the Head of Service of the Federation.
This, he said was the only basis for payment of premium to the beneficiaries.
He further said that the procedure was for all health workers in the Federal Government employee, noting that Federal Government fast-tracked the insurance cover last year in anticipation of casualties attendant upon COVID-19 outbreak.
He said that unionisation for the welfare of workers should not be only for the purpose of strike, rather, going the extra miles to exploit all opportunities provided by government for the welfare of the workforce.
“So, NARD should make claims for the seventeen of their members it confirmed dead as result of COVID-19.
“They have the right to make a claim on behalf of their members. The insurance company only needs to verify the claims and pay.
“They can similarly make claim under the Employee Compensation Act for any of their members who has suffered injury in the course of his or her work or hazard in the course of work,’’ he said.
Speaking on the Medical Residency Programme which is the major reason for fresh action by NARD, the Minister declared that the progrramme has been working hitch-free since it came up in 2019.
He said that the House of Representatives had to do a supplementary appropriation to accommodate it in 2020 COVID-19 budget and the funds, fully released by the Federal Ministry of Finance.
He therefore urged doctors to respect the Hippocratic Oath which makes the wellbeing of patient’s cardinal. (NAN)
The Federal Capital Territory Civil Service Commission has begun the regularisation of staff appointments in the FCT Administration and the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA).
The Head of the Civilo Service, Dr Udo Atang, said at the commencement of the exercise in Abuja on Wednesday, that the move was to ensure accurate data of all staff.
Atang described the regularisation as a “critical” exercise, which forms the bedrock of the new FCT Civil Service Commission (CSC).
He pointed out that all the staff were holding letters of appointments from various agencies, departments, area councils, and the defunct Ministry of FCT and FCDA among others.
The holders of these letters, he said, have been raising issues of discrimination based on letters of appointment.
According to him, the exercise and the gazette by the commission that will come thereafter, will give all staff a sense of identity.
“The essence of this regularisation is to ensure that staff are properly documented.
“You will now have letters that will now qualify you as a bonafide staff of the FCT Civil Service Commission.”
The head of service, who appealed for full cooperation of the workers, directed that a list of all staff on course, study leave, leave of absence and other related permissions be compiled and submitted.
He added that the list should be compiled with grade level, designation and record of service, including approvals.
Atang commended the FCT Minister, Mr Nyesom Wike, for his doggedness and commitment in implementing the provisions of the FCT CSC Act, 2018.
Noting Wike’s support and love for the FCT workers, the head of service urged the workers to reciprocate the minister’s uncommon gesture, by being dedicated and committed to their respective duties.
Also speaking, the Chairman, FCT CSC, Mr Emeka Ezeh, stressed that part of the responsibilities of the commission was in the appointment, promotion and discipline of all FCTA and FCDA workers.
Ezeh also stressed the need for the workers to be more committed in the discharge of their responsibilities. (NAN)
From Jude Dangwam, Jos
The Catholic Women Organization of Nigeria (CWON) has organized a trauma healing session for survivors of the Jos Saint Academy School collapse alongside parents who lost their children in the unfortunate incident.The National President of the organization, Dame Mary Gonzum noted that the effort was part of their psychosocial support and counseling services for victims of the school building collapse as a follow-up to the assessment of the condition of the victims during their visit.
Gonzum speaking during a one day trauma session held at the Secretariat of the Justice Development and Peace/Caritas Commission (JDPC) of the Catholic Archdiocese located along Zaria Road in Jos the Plateau State capital said the trauma healing session was in continuation of their intervention to students who experienced the building collapsed.”Today, a trauma healing session was flagged off with a seminar on how to go about handling the trauma that victims of the Saint Academy School Busa Buji in Jos are passing through.”We will later select those that are so traumatic and need help to continue with the process of healing because it is not something that will end in a day or two but will need sometime.”The surviving students who experienced the building collapsed, parents of the students are all here because some parents are so traumatic, we have one other woman that lost two children”This trauma became necessary because when we went visiting in the hospitals, we observed that some of them are really traumatic. Like the other boy, his mother said up till today he kept telling his mother that he is seeing dead bodies, and anybody he sees he will say is his classmate.”Some of the affected parents while sharing their encounters after the incident said they hardly sleep in the day or night time. Some manage to sleep for two hours and they’re awake, and from the little lectures we received today it is clear that there is a problem,” She noted.The President calls on the government to ensure that those saddled with the responsibility of approving, inspecting and supervising structures are meant to do their job with all diligence to avert future happenings again.Some of the affected parents including; Hasana Suleman Sale who lost two of her children recalled with pains the unfortunate development that claimed the lives of her two children. She expressed gratitude for the trauma healing session which she said came as a means of consolation and strength for her to overcome the trauma she is passing through.
The Catholic Church in Nigeria has welcomed the newly-appointed Apostolic to Nigeria, Archbishop Michael Francis Crotty.
Crotty, an Irish, was appointed by the Vatican.
He will oversee the propagation of the gospel of Jesus Christ through the church in Nigeria.
The position, an ambassadorial status, advances cohesion in the body of Christ.
In his welcome message for Crotty on Tuesday, the President of Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria (CBCN), Archbishop Lucius Ugorji, said that the Church was glad to receive him.
The CBCN president, who is also the Archbishop of Owerri Catholic Archdiocese, said,” With joy and gratitude to God, I extend a hearty welcome to Archbishop Michael Francis Crotty on behalf of the Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria, clergy, religious and lay faithful in Nigeria.
“We are thankful to His Holiness, Pope Francis, for appointing Archbishop Michael Francis Crotty as the Apostolic Nuncio to Nigeria to build on the good works of his predecessor, Archbishop Antonio Filipazzi.
“His appointment is a testament to the strong spiritual bond between our countries,” he said.
He said that although Crotty was the first Apostolic Nuncio from Ireland to serve in Nigeria, many Irish missionaries had played significant roles in spreading the gospel in Nigeria.
“We appreciate Archbishop Crotty’s acceptance of serving in Nigeria and assure him of our full support and cooperation.
“We pray for a fruitful mission and a blessed tenure for our excellency,” he added. (NAN)
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