As a follow-up to his mediation between Joint Health Sector Unions and the Federal Government, President of the Senate, Bukola Saraki, is set to meet with the leadership of the health workers’ union on Monday.
A statement issued on Sunday by the Media Office of the President of the Senate said the meeting would hold in Saraki’s office at 3pm.
Last week, Saraki began his mediation between the government and JOHESU over the ongoing strike action by the workers, which has crippled Nigeria’s public health care facilities for the past 40 days.
The Senate President had held a meeting with JOHESU’s leadership on Thursday afternoon; and later on Friday morning with the Minister of Labour, Productivity and Employment, Dr. Chris Ngige and Minister of Health, Prof. Issac Adewole.
The statement said since the discussions initiated by Saraki, it was believed that the government had improved on its offers to the striking health workers.
It read, “If it is true that government has improved on its offers to JOHESU, it will be desirable for the health workers to also stretch out a hand of fellowship — in good faith — to meet the government mid-way and accept the offer, so that we can finally resolve this matter and have a win-win situation for the union, the government and the Nigerian people who make use of our public health institutions.”
The Senate had on May 15, 2018, resolved to intervene in the current crisis between the Federal Government and workers in the health sector, warning that the industrial action would worsen the impact of an ebola virus outbreak in Nigeria.
The upper chamber of the National Assembly also called for screening of passengers at the ports and for the health institutions be put on red alert as there is an outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The resolution was made following the adoption of a motion moved by Senator Oluremi Tinubu (Lagos-Central) at the plenary on Tuesday.
The Chief Whip, Senator Sola Adeyeye, had pointed out that the disease, if spread to Nigeria, might have a devastating effect as workers in the country’s public health institutions were on strike.
Making an additional prayer, Adeyeye said, “We must remind ourselves that as we speak right now, many health workers in our Republic are on strike.
“Should there be a reintroduction of this viral problem in our country, we won’t even have the health workers to attend to it. Because of the possibility of such a crisis, we must urge an immediate intervention in this long-lasting industrial action so that we can have the workers, God forbid, to attend to whatever health problem may arise in our Republic.”
Adeyeye prayed that, “The Senate should ask for a quick resolution of the ongoing crisis involving health workers in many Nigeria’s public hospitals.”
The prayer was unanimously granted by the senators.
