In an open letter written to the secretary to the Federal Government of
Nigeria, Senator Anyim Pius Anyim, on the 10th of June and sent to him
on the 11th of June 2014, the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) under
the leadership of Dr. Kayode Obembe as President and Dr. Adewumi Alayaki
as secretary had written 24 demands that must be urgently met. They
have given the Government a 14-day ultimatum, failure of which NMA would
call her members out on an indefinite strike nationwide. NMA is made up
of ASSOPON- Association of Pathologist of Nigeria, MDCAN - Medical and
Dental Consultants of Nigeria, ARD-Association of Resident Doctors and
smaller sister Associations, who are doctors in public and private
practice. For many years, Allopathic Medical Doctors in Nigeria have
always hoodwinked the Government and the general public, through
falsehood and blackmail. They have coerced the Government to take
unfavorable decisions which have always been detrimental to the health
sector and the Nigerian populace. They have continually done this as a
result of the structural injustice that has been perpetuated by many
members of NMA in high places in Government. They undermine the laws
setting up the hospital system, the Public Service Rules and above all
the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. At this juncture
let us have a critical look at those demands.
(1) APPOINTMENT OF THE
POST OF THE DEPUTY CMAC IN HOSPITALS. In line with the University
Hospitals (reconstruction of boards) cap U15, LFN 2004 commonly called
decree 10 of 1985 which governs Hospital practice in Nigerian, there is
the office of the CMAC but it never provided for the office of the
DCMAC. In section 4, it provides thus; “there shall be for each
Hospital, a Chairman of the Medical Advisory Committee who shall be
appointed by the Board and responsible to the Chief Medical Director for
all the Clinical and Training activities of the Hospital”. Section 2i
provides that; the CMAC is a member of the board. There is no place in
the organic law setting up the hospital that created the office of the
DCMAC and there is no place it says that only Allopathic Medical Doctors
should be appointed as such. Yet NMA is insisting that the Government
must appoint four DCMAC in every Teaching Hospital and three in every
Federal Medical Centre. All along, Boards of Hospitals as a result of
threats from NMA have been allowing this illegal office to be used to
undermine statutory approved Scheme of Service of other professional
groups. The Public Service Rule in section 1-general in 160101 provides;
‘A Parastatal is a government-owned organization, established by
statutes to render specified service(s) to the public. It is structured
and operates according to the instrument establishing it and also comes
under the policy directives of government. In line with 160201 (a)
statutory boards/council shall set operational and administrative
policies in accordance with government policy directives and supervise
the implementation of such policies. A situation where Allopathic
Medical Doctors in Nigeria wants the Government to continue to create
post and responsibilities not backed by statutes undermines the
principles of good governance. It is gross violation of the law setting
the Government owned institution. Moreover, it is trite law that you
cannot add to a statute. That will be ultra verse.
(2) NMA IS
OPPOSED TO THE APPOINTMENT OF DIRECTORS IN HOSPITALS. It should be noted
that this statement is laden with deceit as postulated by NMA, that
having Directors in hospitals will affect patient care negatively. This
is fallacy of the highest order. The truth of the matter is, NMA does
not want professional departments as directorates in the various Scheme
of Service, rendering professional duties like the department of
Pharmaceutical Services headed by the Director of Pharmaceutical
Services who is a Pharmacist. Department of Nursing Services under the
Director Nursing Services, who is a Nurse. The Department of Medical
Laboratory Services under the Director of Medical Laboratory Services,
who is Medical Laboratory Scientist etc.And all are answerable to the
Chief Medical Director. It should be noted that, NMA and her members
were the ones who negotiated their present Scheme of Service that all
their members can rise to level 17 without being called Directors. Other
Healthcare Personnel have continued to follow their own Scheme of
Service where only one person gets to level 17 and is designated the
Director, which is the most popular path in the Public Service. Again in
the criteria for employment as stated in the Public Service rule in
020205,-“to be eligible for appointment into the federal Public Service,
every applicant must 020205(e) possess requisite qualification as
provide in the Scheme of Service.” The Scheme of Service of all other
Healthcare Personnel in the hospital provides for a Directorate system.
Now NMA and her members want to go on strike for Government to jettison
the Public Service Rule which is a Government Policy Document. The
Scheme of Service for Allopathic Medical doctors provides for a non
Directorate system. AND NO PROFESSIONAL GROUP IMPOSES HER OWN SCHEME OF
SERVICE ON THE OTHER. SECONDLY NO EMPLOYEE DETERMINES THE CONDITION OF
SERVICE OF ANOTHER EMPLOYEE. They are agitating for this in order to
entrench professional imperialism, so that all other healthcare staff
will not reach the zenith of their career. That is the singular reason, a
doctor on level 15 is called a Head of Department heading someone
already on level 17 and is designated a Director .This is gross
absurdity against the Public Service Rule. There is no Government
Institution in Nigerian where such is seen, only in our Hospitals. And
that is what NMA wants to perpetuate. Rule 160103 of the Nigerian Public
Service Rule provides –“Parastatals are to retain and improve existing
rules, procedures and practices in their establishments and ensure that
there are no deviations from the general principles contained in the
Public Service Rules………………………………however in the absence of internal rules
and regulations on any matter, the relevant provisions of the Public
Services Rule shall apply”. This can also be seen in section 5(5) and 17
of the act governing hospital practice in Nigeria. NMA’s demands are
anti- Public Service Rule.
(3) NMA DEMANDS THAT GRADE LEVEL 12 SHOULD BE SKIPPED BY DOCTORS.
This demand is not in line with Government approved Scheme of Service
for Doctors.NMA in her usual falsehood has always accused JOHESU members
of skipping when in actual sense there is nothing like that. The term
is a misnomer this is because skipping is when a Civil Servant moves
from a grade level to a higher grade level that is not provided for in
the Scheme of Service e.g. when a worker moves from 8-10 and there is
no approval for such a special promotion ,this is skipping. But when you
move from 10- 12 this is not skipping because this is provided in the
Scheme of Service and there is no level 11 in the Scheme of Service. A
baby physician enters the Service on level 12, which is a principal
grade. Now NMA is insisting that they must be appointed on level 13,
which is an Assistant Chief Cadre. Haba! How can a beginner enter the
Civil Service on an Assistant Chief Cadre? There is no Nigerian worker
that enters the Service on such grade. There is no Nigerian Civil
Servants that skips. This is not provided in any known Nigerian scheme
of Service.
(4 ) APPOINTMENT OF OTHER MEDICAL PERSONNEL AS CONSULTANTS.
NMA is threatening to go on strike because the Government has chosen to
obey Court judgment in favour of other Health Personnel that they can
also be appointed as consultants in their chosen field. In a false sense
of well being, NMA insists that they own the patients and as such only
the medical doctor can be called a Consultant. Nobody owns the patient;
rather the patient is the epi-centre of Healthcare Service. Medical
doctors are just one of the professional skilled healthcare attendants
in a hospital, attending to the healthcare needs of the patient. Each
medical personnel are given a license to practice their chosen field.
The various scheme of Service for Pharmacists, Physiotherapist, Nurses,
Medical Laboratory Scientists etc provides that they can be appointed as
consultants. All over the world, it is not only Allopathic Medical
Doctors that are appointed as consultants. A simple google search will
show that there are different consultants in the Health Field. The word
consultant is not an exclusive term to designate Allopathic Medical
Doctors who are specialists. William A .Cohen, PhD, in his bestselling
book “How to Make It Big as a Consultant” has this to say on pages 2 and
3. “Consultants operate in many different fields. Import-export,
management, human resources, engineering, and marketing are some of the
more common ones. There are consultants in archeology and consultants in
clothes selection. There are even consultants to help authors overcome
writer’s block.” On page 3 he has this to say. “A consultant is simply
anyone who gives advice or performs other services of a professional or a
semiprofessional nature in return for compensation”. NMA wants to stop
working because other Healthcare Personnel are appointed as consultants.
Is NMA saying that they are the only Professionals in the Health Field?
(5) RELATIVITY IN HEALTH SECTOR
On what basis is NMA still agitating for relativity when at the point
of entry this has been taken care of and resolved based on the number of
years one spends in school. Those who spend four years have their entry
point as level 8,those that spend five years on level 9 ,those that
spend five years with one year of internship on level 10,while those
that spend six years with one year internship on level twelve. The
agitation for the so called relativity is discriminatory and violates
the Nigerian Constitution as stipulated in section 34-(1). NMA insisting
that this must be sacrosanct in the Health Sector is on what basis? It
should be noted that members of NMA are just employees of the
Government, just like every other Civil Servant, and as such no employee
determines what another employee is to be paid. It is never done
anywhere in the world. This is a sense of megalomania, and so this jack
of all trade mentality must stop.
(6) NATIONAL HEALTH BILL.
NMA
is calling for the implementation of the National Health Bill which has
been shown to contain a lot of clauses that are anti-people. Many
professional Associations, Civil Societies and well meaning Nigerians
have called for the removal of these obnoxious sections of the Bill. But
NMA in the bid to actualize her set selfish agenda has refused to give
good reason a chance. Again some part of the Bill undermines the
Nigerian Constitution in use in a Federal System of Government. No
Nigerian Health Worker is against having a Health Bill but all we are
saying is that in order to meet Government set objectives to enhance the
total wellbeing of the citizenry the obnoxious sections has to be
expunged.
(7) THE APPOINTMENT OF SURGEON GENERAL.
This office
is not created by law. There is no Nigerian statute that says that we
must have the office of the Surgeon General. Creation of this office
will lead to more agitation and anarchy in the Health Sector which is
already polarized. Every professional group will be agitating for the
creation of X-general, e.g. Pharmacist general, Nurse general,
Optometrist general, Radiographer general, Physiotherapy general,
Dietician general; Medical laboratory scientist general etc. The
creation of this post will lead to more problems in the health sector.
Secondly of what role and benefit is the office of the Surgeon general
when we already have two Ministers of Health and there are many
Directors also having such functions?
(8) THE ENTRY POINT OF HOUSE OFFICER TO BE ON COMMESS 1 STEP 4
This level is equivalent to grade level 10 steps 4. On what is this
agitation predicated on, when such entry point is not supported by any
Scheme of Service, used as one of the criteria for appointment into the
Public Service of the federation? It should be noted that house officers
are intern or Pupil Medical Doctors. There is no intern in Nigerian
that enters the service on step four. Moreover, steps are indicators of
the level of experience or years the person /officer have spent on that
grade level. On what criteria is a neophyte/green horn in his profession
placed on step four? What you have is either step one or step two.
Government should not accede to this demand that undermines ethical
procedural practice in the Public Service.
(9) CLINICAL ALLOWANCES FOR HONORARY CONSULTANTS TO BE INCREASED BY 90% OF CONMESS.
Early this year, under the immediate past President of NMA, Dr
Enabulele, NMA had had an upward salary increase for their members. Not
up to 5 months, NMA is now calling for another bloated allowance. Note
that consultants are meant to render quality service as Attending
Physicians, but what do we see daily in our hospitals? Most of the
times, the “consultants/honorary consultants” are never around. Yet they
want to be paid such a jumbo allowance. Those that are around, work
four times in a month, having one clinic day in a week.
(10) NMA,
with the huge sum they are paid, still wants adjustment in their
specialist allowance to be paid to all doctors on CONMESS 3 and above,
and must be paid its equivalent that is not less than 50% higher than
what is paid to other Health Workers. How can NMA be the one to decide
what other Health Workers get? NMA should go and read the Parable of one
Talent Payment.
(11) NMA is calling for Government to pay her
members 100,000 naira every month as just hazard allowance. How can NMA
be demanding for such, despite all she is already receiving? She is
being too selfish/greedy in her demands. Even other workers with worse
occupational hazards are not receiving such.
(12) NMA insists
on immediate release of circulars on rural posting, teaching and other
allowance which must include House Officers. Since 2009 NMA and her
members have been collecting teaching allowance even though that
teaching allowances as approved by the Government was for very Senior
Medical Doctors (Consultants and very Senior Registrars)that are
involved in teaching of doctors in training, especially the junior and
senior interns. House officers are the junior interns while Resident
doctors are senior interns doing a student fellowship to become a
specialist .Now NMA is agitating that the interns who are still doctors
in training should be paid teaching allowance. House officers and
resident doctors by government circulars are not entitled to this
payment; it is because of them that Government is paying the teaching
allowance. How can the doctor in training be asking for teaching
allowance when he is a trainee, and who is he teaching? Since the
approval in 2009 and full implementation in 2010, House Officers and
Resident Doctors who are NMA members, have been fraudulently collecting
huge monthly teaching allowances which they are not entitled. There is
no government circular or template that approved such payment. It was in
this year 2014, that the Government through the Call Budget Circular
from the Ministry of Finance opposed and stopped the payment of teaching
allowance to interns. For five years members of NMA who were not
entitled to teaching allowance have been defrauding the Government. He
who comes to equity must come with clean hands.
(13) NMA calls
for immediate withdrawal of CBN circular authorizing the Medical
Laboratory Science Council of Nigerian (MLSCN) to approve licenses for
the importation of in vitro diagnostics (IVDS). It is so petty that NMA
is going on strike because the Federal Government (which means well for
Nigerians), has taken the bull by the horn to making sure that fake/
substandard diagnostic consumables are removed from the system, by
effectively empowering MLSCN-the Agency who has the statutory function
to do this job. Sections 4b, and 4e of MLSCN act 11 2003 provides- the
function of the board are
(B) Regulate the Practice of Medical Laboratory Science in Nigerian.
(c) Regulate the production, importation, sales, and stocking of diagnostic reagents and chemicals.
Section 19 of the MLSCN act mandates MLSCN Board to also make rules.
Section 19(d) goes thus-the board may make rules for the maintenance of
good standard of Medical Laboratory practice and services with respect
to the regulation and control of private practice including statutory
inspection, approval, and monitoring of all Medical Laboratories
including those adjoined to Clinics, Private and Public Health
Institutions. Instead of NMA to partner with MLSCN to kick fake
diagnostics out of Nigeria, she is out there encouraging quackery and
fighting a lost battle by being anti-Establishment.
(14) NMA
wants immediate release of circular on retirement age. Dear Nigerians by
increasing retirement age from 60 to more years how will it bring
better productivity in the health sector? When within the next ten years
of a doctor starting work ,he can get to the zenith of his career
which work will he be doing? And when most of our consultants are part
time doctors because they work and have Clinics days only once a week.
(15) NMA , Residency and Oversee Training.NMA should look inwards and
stop hiding under residency and oversee training to encourage medical
tourism and waste of tax payers money. For self reliance and self
determination the Alma Ata declaration has a lot to help a young economy
like Nigeria. Health has a lot to do with socio-economic indices.
Diseases in the tropics are not the same as in the temperate region.
Alma Ata declaration of 1978, encourages young economies to look inwards
locally in providing healthcare at low and affordable manner. All over
the world it is not only one group in the health field that does
residency. Veterinarians, Podiatrist, Medical Physicist, Optometrist,
Pharmacist, Physical Therapist, Doctors of Ethnomedicine, Doctors of
Holistic Medicine, Doctors of Natural Medicine etc all have residency
program. Yet none of these group in Nigeria have gone on strike because
of no oversee residency program. A privilege is not a right. There is no
government law that says that Allopathic Doctors can only become good
doctors only when they go oversee.NMA should stop encouraging this
mentality that anything African is inferior.NMA should know that what
they are asking is not part of the rules of engagement. This is the time
for more humane and humble request. Indian doctors are becoming one of
the best doctors in the world not because they are looking overseas but
because they are looking inwards.
(16) NMA insist on payment of
salaries of her member in Owerri. Her members should also meet part of
their own responsibilities and agreement as workers. NMA must learn to
obey constituent authority, and must make her members to be amenable to
discipline.
(17) NMA members and IPPIS platform. NMA has always
shown double standard on this issue. Before now, members of NMA went on
strike because of the Government policy that all worker must be on IPPIS
platform. How come it is now that NMA is just waking up from sleep, to
say that if her members are not on IPPIS she will call her members for
indefinite strike? The Government policy is that if you are not on a
pensionable appointment you cannot be on IPPIS. So how can house
officers and residents be on IPPIS when their appointment is not
permanent? Moreover the 2014 Call Budget Circular from the Ministry of
Finance provides that you cannot hold more than one appointment and be
placed in two places under IPPIS platform. When IPPIS came many members
of NMA opposed it because it did not allow them to be on Government pay
role in two places.
(18) NMA wants to go on strike because House
Officers are said not to be part of NARD-National Association of
Resident Doctors. The big question here is, are house officers also paid
the same as their senior residents? In as much that the House Officer
is a junior resident while the doctor in training to become a specialist
is a senior resident the duo cannot be part of any strike action even
with their consultants, because they belong to an Association and not a
trade Union.NMA is only calling for House Officers to be part of NARD
for them to be part of their numerous illegal strike action.
(19)
NMA accuses Medical Laboratory Scientists of harasment.NMA has shown
herself that she is a Joker. The world knows that it is the other way
round. That it is members of NMA that are harassing Medical Laboratory
Scientists in Nigerian. The number of Medical laboratory Scientist that
NMA members have instigated their sack/termination of
appointment/suspension is worrisome. But thanks are to the Most High for
the Judiciary who brings hope for the common man, by setting aside most
of the sack/termination/suspension. Medical laboratory Scientists are
people who do not act on impulse, or with impunity. Why is NMA resorting
to self help when issues she has with members of Association of Medical
Laboratory Scientists of Nigerian are in court? Why is she the judge in
her own case? The spirit of Medical Laboratory Scientists can never be
broken. We shall always move with great crescendo to protect patients’
interest and the public at large, despite the provocation and
lawlessness that is being perpetuated by members of NMA in the Health
Sector. The laws of the land shall be our strength, for he who holds the
mace of truth and justice can never falter. We cannot be intimidated by
her Goliath posturing.
(20) NMA says-‘the endless circles of
incomplete salary payment to our members in many hospital in the name of
short falls in personal cost must stop’. This is the only legitimate
demand out of the 24 demands by NMA because the labourer is worthy of
his wages. But NMA cannot call her members out for strike based on this,
because she is not a registered Trade Union but a charity. This problem
is not peculiar to only Allopathic Medical Doctors but to all personnel
working in the Health Sector.
(21) NMA in her number 21
demand states ‘universal application of all establishment circulars on
remuneration and condition of service for doctors at all levels of
Government must be guaranteed’. NMA is not justified here, because this
borders on Constitutional Matter. And the Central Government has some
limits to want they can impose on the State, bearing in mind that we are
practicing a Federal System of Government, where power is shared among
the three tiers of Government, the Federal, State and the Local
Government. NMA members should come to terms that they are the employee
and not the employer. It is very interesting to note, that NMA who
champions the lost battle, insists that the approved Scheme of
Service/circulars of other healthcare workers will never be implemented
is the one now agitating that even things not given by any Scheme
Service/circular must be implemented.
(22) NMA demands that
Government must urgently set up a health trust fund that will enhance
the upgrading of hospitals.NMA is being sentimental here, the problems
of our hospital is not funding but mismanagement and accountability.
Even if the Government sets 100 trust funds with billions of naira much
will not come out of it, because the hospitals are managed contrary to
Government laws and principles. Hospital/health administrators should be
the ones to head and manage the hospitals. Our hospitals have been
poorly managed under the leadership of Allopathic Physicians. When there
is good management and accountability Government set goals/objectives
can be actualized.
(23) APPOINTMENT INTO THE OFFICE OF THE CMD/MD.
NMA is always doctoring and adding to organic laws. In her 23rd demand,
NMA stated “the position of the Chief Medical Director/Medical Director
must continue to be occupied by a medical doctor as contained in the
act establishing the tertiary hospitals. This position remains
sacrosanct and untouchable.” I can beat my chest and say that the
leadership of NMA have never seen nor read the content of University
Teaching Hospitals (reconstruction of boards) cap U15, LFN 2004 commonly
called decree 10 of 1985.There is no where it stated what NMA quoted
above. In fact the term medical doctor was never used in that document
or Act. Section 5 of the act provides;
(1) There shall be for each
hospital a Chief Medical Director who shall be appointed by the
president on such terms and conditions as may be specified in his letter
of appointment or as may be determined from time to time by the Federal
Government.
(2)The Chief Medical Director shall
(a)Be a person
who is medically qualified and registered as such for a period of not
less than 12 years, and has had considerable administrative experience
in matters of health and holds a post graduate medical qualification
obtained not less than 5 years prior to the appointment as chief medical
director and
(b)Be charged with the responsibility for the
execution of the polices and matters affecting the day to day management
of the affairs of the hospital.
In the afore-mentioned Act, there
is no place it said that the person must be a Medical Doctor. The
International best practice is that, it is not only Medical Doctors that
head Hospitals rather, in most places; it is a qualified
hospital/health administrator that manages the Hospital. If you do a
search on the internet on the criteria to become a truck driver in USA,
note that you will see that it says that the person must be medically
qualified. So does being medically qualified here mean that one must be a
medical doctor to be a truck driver? The capital answer is “no”. It
means being medically fit. The term medically qualified as used in the
act has been misinterpreted to mean a holder of a certificate
registrable by MEDICAL AND DENTAL COUNCIL OF NIGERIA.(MDCN). Currently
there is a case instituted in the Federal High Court Awka by Comr. A. A
Obi a distinguished Medical Laboratory Scientist and the suit number is
FHC/AWK/CS/38/2013.The suit is to interpret the meaning of who is
medically qualified as used in section 5 of the act. So why is NMA and
her members jumping the gun to go on strike on an issue before the Court
is that not subjudice? All along NMA has used acts of impunity to
undermine the rule of law. The organic law did not say the person will
be a Medical Doctor or be registrable with MDCN even though all adverts
for the posts of CMD/MD have come to illegally say so.
It is lucid
that from the foregoing, certain questions arise. Can NMA as an
Association declare and call for strike, when it is not a Trade Union?
Is NMA above the law, that it can undermine the provisions of the
Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, by trampling on the
code of conduct for Public Officers as stated in the constitution?
Section 2 subsections 1,2 and 3 of the Trade Union Act, states “A trade
union shall not perform any act in furtherance of the purpose for which
it has been formed unless it has been registered under this act……………..”
section 2 subsection 2-where a trade union registered under this act
ceases to be registered, it shall not there after perform any action in
furtherance of this purpose…………….
section 2 subsection 3-if any act
which is prohibited by section (1) or (2) of this section, is performed
by a trade union, then
(a)The Union and every official thereof; and
(b) Any member thereof who, not being an official thereof, took any
active part in the performance of that act, shall be guilty of an
offence against this act.
NMA is not a registered Trade Union, so
she cannot be doing this, entrenching sabotage and acts of impunity
against the State. Above all, endangering the lives of the citizens, she
swore on oath to protect. A situation where NMA is going on strike as a
result of these frivolous demands is gross misconduct and acts of
negligence. Section 3 of 030301( h) of the Public Service Rule terms
negligence as a misconduct.030402 (e) terms absence from duty without
leave as serious acts of misconduct. Sabotage in 030402(t) is also
stated as serious misconduct. Section 33(1) of the Nigerian Constitution
2011 as amended provides every person has a right to life and no one
shall be deprived intentionally of his life………section 172 of the same
Constitution states “A person in the Public Service of the Federation
shall observe and conform to the code of conduct of the Federation “.The
fifth schedule part 1 code of conduct for Public Officers says:
(1)
A public officer shall not put himself in a position where his personal
interest conflicts with his duties and responsibilities.
(9) A
public officer shall not do or direct to be done, in abuse of his
office, any contrary act prejudicial to the rights of any other person
or contrary to.
It is so glaring that what NMA is asking is prejudicial and tramples on the rights of Nigerian Citizens.
(24) IN her 24 demand NMA forgot that she is an employee of the
Government and it is not for her to dictate on how Optometrist or
Medical Physicist should be paid. Nigeria is not Govern by the whims and
caprices of NMA but by laws and polices made by the Government.
CONCLUSION.
NMA and her members are not justified on going on strike. The only
reasonable demand is demand number 20 haba! A student who scored one out
of twenty four is not doing well at all. NMA members should know that
as workers they have duty of Fidelity, they as Civil Servants are bound
to only obey rightful orders from NMA. They also have duty of care and
skill to the patient. And above all their loyalty/allegiance is to the
Nigerian state. A situation where NMA gives her members unlawful orders
undermines the rule of law and as such, such orders cannot hold sway.
NMA has become a fifth columnists working against the state. It is sad
that NMA and her members who have benefitted so much from the state are
now turning themselves against the Nigerian state to become the killer
of the Nigerian People, instead of being the Physician who is to be the
healer of the patient and people. Nigerians must rise and say no to this
medical imperialism by using the instrumentality of the law to stop NMA
from inflicting untold hardship on her citizenry. The Federal
Government through the Ministry of Health under Prof Onyebuchi CHukwu
must act to maintain law and order, now that NMA has told the world that
it is because of some of the things She granted to JOHESU on merit, is
the reason NMA is going on strike. She should seek an injunction
restraining NMA from going on strike just as he did to JOHESU, pending
the determination of the motion on notice to know if NMA has the locus
standi to go on strike when she is not a Trade Union. JOHESU should be
firm to seek a legal redress to restrain NMA in this acts of
lawlessness,if the Government does not act.There must be a total
restructuring of the Health Sector. All Nigerians from all works of life
must condemn these acts of sabotage against the State by doctors of
Allopathic Medicine under the auspices of NMA. The Nigerian Government
as a matter of urgency should support the Natural Medicine Development
Agency Kofo Abayomi Victoria Island, to reposition our Traditional
Medicine to be like what is seen in China, USA, U.K, India, Korea etc.
And it should be integrated into the mainstream Healthcare System in
Nigeria. Allopathic Monopolistic Medicine should give way to Pluralistic
Medicine. Government should create an enabling environment for the
practice of the different Medical Systems like, Functional Medicine,
Holistic Medicine, Ethnomedicine, Ayurvedic Medicine, Homeopathy,
Osteopathy etc. All over the world, no country is currently solely
dependent on one Medical System. Nigerians must say no to NMA that has
become anti people. The Nigerian Government should not allow herself to
be blackmailed by NMA. She should first and foremost challenge NMA for
acts of impunity against the state. The federal Government should take a
leaf from Governor Fashola of Lagos State, for enough is enough. The
Government should also take a queue from the former governor of Anambra
state, Mr Peter Obi
AJUFO, BENJAMIN CHUKWUNONSO- A MEDICAL LABORATORY SCIENTIST/EXPERT ON HOLISTIC MEDICAL SYSTEM.
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