7th July, 2015
Rivers state deputy governor, Dr. Ipalibo Harry Banigo has called on the Medical and Health Workers Union, Primary Health Care Sector, to suspend its one year old strike in the interest of the people of the state.
Dr. Banigo made the call during a meeting with officials of the Ministry of Health, Primary Healthcare Management Board and the leadership of the State Medical and Health Workers Union to broker peace in her office in Port Harcourt.
She explained that the Primary Health Care Workers perform a critical role in the prevention of communicable and childhood killer diseases such as measles, whooping cough and poliomyelitis.
The deputy governor noted that the Primary Health Care Management Board and the Local Government Councils refused to work closely thereby paralysing the Health sector over issues that could be resolved amicably.
Dr. Banigo appealed to the health workers to return to work immediately and allow the state government address the issues that necessitated the strike, adding that the Governor Nyesom Wike-led administration is a government that keeps its promises:
“You can be rest assured that as important as the issues raised are, you should believe in us, to find a lasting solution to this lingering crisis that has brought untold hardship to our people,” she stated.
She explained that the present government places premium on the provision of effective health care to the people of the state, noting that, the health workers strike has adversely affected the health care needs of the citizens.
She said that the state government would soon inaugurate the Local Government Service Commission to be headed by a former council chairman and an experienced administrator, stressing that their matter would be one of the first issues to be handled by the new Commission.
Dr. Banigo thanked the Health Workers for their willingness towards resolving contending issues and reiterated the readiness of the state government to provide infrastructural facilities that would improve Health care in the State.
Earlier, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Health, Dr. Somieri Isaac-Harry, had said that the Primary Health Care system has been comatose following the strike embarked upon by the Health workers in the State.
He however expressed optimism over quick resolution of the impasse by the present administration and thanked the Deputy Governor for her efforts in offering lasting solutions.
On her part, the Executive Secretary of Rivers State Primary Health Care Management Board, Dr. Claribel Abam, noted that the state has lost its leading position in Primary Health Care Services, due to the strike action by the Health workers.
Also speaking, the State Chairman, Medical and Health Workers Union Primary Healthcare Sector, Comrade Reuben Wecheonwu, traced the one year old industrial action to the inequality in the salaries of the primary health workers as against their counterparts at the state level due to the refusal of Local Government Councils to implement the Consolidated Salary Structure.
Comrade Wecheonwu said the refusal of the councils to implement their promotions arrears, regular salaries and entitlements had placed the workers and their families in a precarious situation.