…Pass no confidence vote
Stories by Ajuma Edwina Ogiri
Abuja
The long-standing bitter rivalry among doctors and other health workers in Nigerian, has made some unions in the sector to accuse the health ministry of showing favouritism to medical doctors, and have therefore passed a vote of no confidence on the minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Adewole.
The unions, Joint Health Sector Union (JOHESU) and Assembly of Health Care Professionals (AHPA), who made the claim in a joint press statement, demanded a restructuring of the ministry to accommodate allied health professionals in the political leadership of the sector.
The association, which comprises all health workers in the hospital aside medical doctors, accused Prof. Adewole, and the Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige, of unwilling to address the grievances of other professionals in the Nigerian health system.
The unions asked the federal government to restructure appointments at the ministry to balance the interests of allied professionals.
According to them, “the Minister, Minister of State, permanent secretary of the Ministry of Health, as well as the Minister of Labour and Employment, who is meant to be a mediator on workers plights; are all medical doctors and have been biased to members of our profession.”
Speaking, the Chairman, University College Hospital, (UCH) JOHESU chapter,Olusegun Sotiloye, said: “the union was forced to pass a vote of no confidence on the leadership of Prof. Adewole, because he had shown himself to be the minister of Nigerian Medical Association, NMA, and not that of the entire health sector.
“As far as the minister is concerned, it is only the medical practitioners that are in the Ministry of Health, so that is why we are passing a vote of no confidence on him.
“The last time we had a good Minister of Health was in the time of Eyitayo Lambo. Since Lambo, all the other ones are jokers. What is happening now in the health sector was what happened during the tenures of Chukwu Onyebuchi and Olikoye Ransome-Kuti.”
“We want Adewole to see Ministry of Health as a ministry that has so many professionals practising, and should make it a level playing ground for all practitioners, treat every professional as a partner in the health care delivery system in the country.
“That is why we are advocating that if one of the minister is from NMA, the other should be from the allied health professionals so there will be a balance. The Ministry of Health should be overhauled, it needs restructuring.”
