Doctors Reject Fashola's Offer, Vow To Continue Strike

Gov. Babatunde Fashola

Gov. Babatunde Fashola

The strike embarked upon by medical doctors in Lagos State, South West Nigeria is far from over as the doctors have rejected the 75 percent increase in salary and allowances offered them by the Governor Babatunde Fashola administration.

Gov. Babatunde Fashola

The state government had in its determined effort to end the on-going strike by medical doctors offered an increase in salaries and allowances of Medical/Dental Officers in the State by an amount equivalent to about 75 per cent of the Consolidated Medical Salary Structure, CONMESS.

Vice Chairman, Medical Guild, Dr. Taofeek Majolagbe told P.M.NEWS last night that the doctors would not accept the 75 percent increase but wanted 100 percent implementation of the CONMESS.

He said that during the meeting they held with the state government on Monday, the 75 percent increase was put forward but that the doctors rejected it, adding that the government had refused to show them the breakdown and what is contained in the 75 percent increase being offered to them.

“Even if they offer us 75 percent of the CONMESS, it is not acceptable; we need 100 percent. We have rejected the offer,” he said, meaning that the strike continues.

On government’s decision to review the case of the sacked former Chairman of the Medical Guild, Dr. Ibrahim Olaifa, he stated that government had never been true to its words, as several review of the sacked former chairman’s case had never come to reality.

“Government has been promising to review the case since last year and nothing has been done. If a government is supposed to review a case, how long will it take? They should tell us,” he said.

However, government’s review offer to the doctors was contained in a letter to the Chairman of the Medical Guild, Association of Lagos State Government Employed Medical Doctors and signed by the State Commissioner for Establishment and Training, Mr. Jide Sanwo-Olu, as approved by Fashola.

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In the letter titled, “Review of Salaries of Medical/Dental Officers”, the government, in response to other demands of the doctors, agreed to review the dismissal of Dr. Ibrahim Olaifa and commence the deduction of Guild’s check-off dues through the State Treasury Office.

The letter also communicated the readiness to review the issue of tax deduction in order to comply with relevant tax laws of government.

Recalling the previous meetings convened by the governor with the Guild in the effort to end the strike, the government said the increase was a demonstration of its commitment to sustaining health care delivery within the resources of the State and in order to prevent further loss of lives as well as protect the welfare of the citizens.

“Having painstakingly examined the issue, His Excellency has directed in line with the newly approved Pay Policy of the State an implementation of an increase in the salaries and allowances of Medical /Dental Officers in the State Public Service to an amount equivalent to about 75 percent of the Consolidated Medical Salary Structure (CONMESS) in order to prevent further loss of lives and protect the welfare of the citizens of the state,” it stated.

With this development, the letter stated that the governor expects that the Medical Guild “would reciprocate the gesture by immediately calling off the strike and directing its members to resume the full implementation of the State’s Medical Programme which government has pledged to its citizens.”

—Kazeem Ugbodaga

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