By Oyibo Salihu Lokoja
As the industrial action embarked upon by the Kogi state chapter of the Nigeria Medical Association (NMA) enters 13 days, the association has warned medical doctors to beware of any employment coming from the state government at this critical period of salary irregularities. A statement signed by its Chairman, Dr. Godwin Tijani, said the association was not unaware of the latest development coming from the government to recruit new doctors to replace striking ones, who had not been paid for months.
Th e statement said: “Information reaching NMA indicates that the Kogi state government, through the ministry of health, has concluded plans to recruit new medical offi cers to replace doctors on strike. “Th at appointment letter will be issued immediately and those appointed posted to various hospitals across the state. “NMA Kogi state advice and warn those doctors invited for the interview to have a rethink. What happened to old pot can still happen to new pot”. Th e state chairman of the association noted that there were doctors in the services of the state government, who have not taken salaries for months, saying he was reminding them that they were members of NMA and doctors in the state.
Tijani, however, maintained that members of NMA were not against the recruitment, just as he emphasised that the state was short of medical offi cers, but insisted that “such process at this critical time when doctors are being owed salaries, non implementation of revised CONMESS and relativity, promotions and annual stepping, does not speak well of any government. Reacting, the state Commissioner for Health, Dr. Saka Haruna, debunked the allegation, describing it as “erroneous impression emanating from the hands of some mischief makers in the state”.
