President Goodluck Jonathan promised yesterday to end the doctors’ and university teachers’ strike.
The teachers’ is over 90 days. Members of the National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) are also on strike. The professionals are blaming the government for failing to meet up with the agreement reached with them.
Jonathan promised to end the strike when he received the leaders of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), led by its President, Dr. Osahon Enabulele.
Presidential spokesman Dr. Reuben Abati, in a statement on the meeting which reporters were prevented from covering, said the President promised to do his all to resolve all issues that caused disputes.
He said the government attached great importance to the medical and educational sectors.
He said: “I believe that we must manage both sectors in such a way that nobody engaged in them will think of going on strike again.
“We will continue to proactively evolve measures that will help us to permanently overcome the problems that lead to strikes by health and education professionals,” he added.
To facilitate rapid establishment of more centres of medical excellence in the country, President Jonathan pledged that the Federal Government would fully explore the option of creating a special intervention fund.
According to him, the recommendation of a special fund that will give low interest loans for the establishment of state-of-the-art medical facilities is a creative idea that will receive appropriate consideration from the government.
He said: “We are committed to working with professionals and the private sector to establish better medical facilities in the country and reduce the number of Nigerians who have to go abroad annually for medical reasons.”
Jonathan also assured the doctors that his administration would create the right conditions to enable doctors to stay at home and avail Nigerians of their acknowledged skills and expertise instead of migrating to other countries.
He said his administration was determined to correct the anomaly of Nigeria being so strong in human capacity in medicine, with about 25,000 Nigerian medical consultants currently practising in the United States , as confirmed to him by President Barack Obama; and yet being unable to treat many of its sick people in its own hospitals.
Jonathan said: “There is clearly a missing link somewhere and we will do everything possible to fix it. We will continue to work with professional bodies and all stakeholders to come up with more policies and actions that will help us overcome current challenges in our medical sector.
“We will work with the National Assembly to ensure the quick passage of the National Health Bill. We will take prompt action to reconstitute the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria. We will also consider recommendations for the establishment of the Office of Surgeon-General of the Federation.”
“I believe that we must always do what is best for our country. We will review all the other issues you have raised and act accordingly. When things are done properly, issues of welfare and remuneration in the health sector will disappear,” the President said.
Dr. Enabulele assured President Jonathan of NMA’s support for his administration’s agenda.
He called for urgent reconstitution of the main regulatory body in the health sector, the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria which was dissolved in 2011.
The NMA President also called for faster action on the passage of the National Health Bill and other issues related to the creation of a more conducive operating environment for doctors and other healthcare professionals such as remuneration, welfare and training.
The President was decorated with the emblem of the NMA by Prof. Umaru Shehu.
The NMA delegation included the Emir of Tsonga, Dr. Haliru Yahaya, the NMA Second Vice-President, Dr. Uche Ojinmah and the NMA Secretary-General, Dr. Akpufuoma Pemu.
Source: The Nation
hpe its nt a rumour, cos we are tired of seeing news that alwz calm us dawn nd @ the end of the day no solution wld be done. Fg pls mke sure dt u set all ur machineries in motion for the development of our country..
GEJ, TRY OUT
This man is just an actor reading a script, is this the first time we are hearing this? How much of this agony are we going to endure???
Once ∂αт word soon ιѕ der forget about ┌i┐┌t┐
we don’t even want stories and promises anymore, all we need is of the strike been suspended, those are only but eloquent speech.this strike should end right now
Please dey shud just call off dis strike dahs all dt matters,cos dis idleness are making d youths carry out many vices! :(
jonathan shud jst stop bragging nd let him jst implement d agreement..dats d only news i’ll bliv..
Dis is nt wat we want 2 hear,dey hv been sayin d word”SOON” 4 d past 3 months nd ntin hv been done abt it.pls GEJ Shuld jst implement wat ever agrement he went tru wit Asuu cos we r tired of staying @ hme
GEJ tell nigerian u aren’t interested in the country education because ur children and children of ur cabinet are not schooling in nigeria. Also with those bunch of secret court that call themselves ASUU cos if their children are schooling in any of nig public university they wouldn’t be handling this matter the way they are doing. Mr president this is a disgrace to ur administration. You have de full right to stop de strike which ever way u want it to be done cos those brute beasts that call themselves ASUU are not ready to shift their ground unless u use force ob them as animals they are.
all these speech would not dramatise to any tin dat wil profit or enhance us. students are tired of been mantispided at homes. pls sir help the leaders of tomorrow. reckon to their (ASUU) agreement. GOD BLES U SIR, and thanks.
When we held de news abt strike in our school, students(male & fmale) in de hostel celebrated. The joy of their celebration was dat, it will give dem time 2 rest and blabla. Today, it is de same stdnts who are saying dat dey are tired of staying at home. I recall, i and my course mates were reading dat same day and dey came mocking and finally displaced us. My que now is, why are dey not celebrating de long days asuu has given 2 dem bt insulting? It go beta 4 dis country one day. May God help us de poor’s children.
Hmm.
Bunch of nonsense……..
Stop decieving us with ur dirty speech GEJ and call dis strike off.
If possible, those secret cult called ASUU should be desolved cos all they are after is their selfish interest.
These are trash!!!!!!
abeg abeg, me i knw dey watch superstory again, he don tay. Pls dey shld jst cal off d strike by now bcos make d god of Ogun, Obatala nd Sango no com begin dey strike d both parties (Fg/Asuu). Democrazy on paara level by yaskill.
Somehow I hve a strong feeling this strike wld soon be over. For the very first time!!! U guys shld strt preparing to go back to school so that doesn’t take u by surprise, lol.
Our leaders don’t care about our education nd health bc they are not affected in any way, it is only the common man that ‘ll suffer it
It is quite obvious dat those men: both the ASUU board and mr Jonathan dnt care abt the our educational sector simply bcos their children ar nt schoolin in the country. DAMN IT
Mr.president, are u afraid to excersize ur power, oh i wish obasanjo is here! This strike would have been call off te teh
i dey ves bcus i surpose 2 b in final year by now,abeg make federal goverment do something about dis strike and asuu pls comply with federal govt.
he don tey we dey hear d word “VERY SOON” I beg fg/ assu make una settle una self
FG do whatever u want till election day. Unless the election will be reign. JONATHAN thank u
Did any body ask asuu to fight for us? They wants to gain for their own selfish interest. I know they are cultist and woffs bt God will bring them from grain to grass one day so that they will sufer it a bit both bad luck Gonathan who calls him self president. How i wish he can be impeached right now cos many things has happend in his tenue. He lacks action, control and leadership quality guash!!!!!!! D dead yaradual is beta than him, we nee obasanjo d action man