26th August, 2014
Abiodun Onafuye/Abeokuta
Governor Ibikunle Amosun of Ogun state, southwest, Nigeria has assured protesting Midwives posted to Ogun state by the Federal Government in the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) health intervention programme that their plight will be addressed soonest, calling on them not to down tool.
The governor was reacting to the information given to him by nurses who were at the State Secretariat, Oke Mosan, Abeokuta to protest non-payment of their 36 months allowances owed them by the state government when he was away in Abuja.
He frowned at the development, appealing to the medics that the state needs them now, especially with the spreading of the contagious disease of Ebola Virus Disease, (EVD), urging them to tow the line of the Nigerian Medical Association, (NMA), who had called off their 55-day old strike in the interest of the country.
One of the Governor’s aides, a member of the Committee, set up by the government to look into the midwives
matter revealed to our correspondent in Abeokuta early Tuesday that the governor would resolve the matter as quickly as possible.
“I want to appeal to our midwives not to down tools at this point in time, we need them and we will do everything humanly possible to assuage their plight. I am sorry for all what you have passed through, I can assure you that I have directed that necessary action should commence on your issue and sooner than later, it would be resolved. This is Ogun state and it must be standard, you are our mothers and your role in our mission to rebuild policy can never be over looked, just give us few time, everything will be resolved,” the governor was quoted to have said.
It would be recalled that nurses sometimes last week staged a peaceful protest to the Governor’s Office, Oke Mosan, expressing their disappointment in the way the State government treated them in the last 36 months.
The nurses brandished placards with inscriptions that read: “Working and suffering in rural areas, nothing from State Govt”; “Pls, pay our two years and four months arrears”; “Governor Amosun, pls pay MSS Midwives/Sure-P 2years 4 months allowance”, among others.
The Coordinator of the midwives in the state, Mrs Grace Omolara Akinboyo disclosed that they had written series of letters to the governor, complaining the non-payment of their allowance, adding that, the last letter was written on 14 April 2014. She said it was received and acknowledged in the office of the governor.
She disclosed that the Governor Ibikunle Amosun-led administration only paid their allowances for eleven months since inception in May 2011.
She also revealed that the governor had earlier declined to pay the backlog of 18 months allowance owed them by the past administration of Otunba Gbenga Daniel.
“The intervention scheme is tripartite in design as all the three tiers of government jointly fund it. It is only the state government that defaulted,” she stated.
They, however, vowed to leave their duty posts in the rural areas of the state, where the efforts had reduced drastically, noting that, mother and child mortality had reduced.
It took the intervention of the Deputy Chief of Staff to the Governor, Alhaji Shuaib Salisu, who assured the midwives, most of who had recorded several decades of experience in the field that he would interface with all offices involved in the matter and would get across to the protesters’ leadership.
He however, appealed to them not to down their tools, considering the importance the present administration give to health and education sectors in the state, adding that, the current prevalence of Ebola Virus Disease is a major factor that must not allow prevailing in the state.