Tinubu begs striking health workers to go back to work

VOICE AIR MEDIA NEWS UPDATE

THE President, Bola Tinubu, on Monday, in Abuja, urged striking health union workers to return to work, promising to resolve their grievances

“We will resolve all the issues. Please go back to work,” Tinubu told the leadership of the Joint Health Sector Unions during a meeting at the State House, on Monday.

The PUNCH reports that the JOHESU had embarked on an indefinite strike a week ago over demands for improved welfare, amongst other reasons. Also, the Nigerian Labour Congress said it will embark on a nationwide strike on Wednesday following the discontinuance of petrol subsidy.

State House Director of Information, Abiodun Oladunjoye, revealed this in a statement he signed on Monday titled ‘President Tinubu restates commitment to reviving health sector.’

Tinubu who stated his administration’s commitment to revive and restore public confidence in Nigeria’s health sector harped on the importance of the sector and its professionals.

He promised to resolve all identified problems plaguing the system for optimum performance, urging the striking union to return to work.

“The health sector is one sector with a commitment to humanity. We will resolve all the problems.

“Trust must be enshrined in all discussions. I promise you we will accelerate this.

“We will resolve all the issues. Please go back to work,” President Tinubu appealed to the union leaders.

While expressing the readiness of the union to get its members back to work, Acting Chairman, Dr Obinna Ogbonna, entreated Tinubu to pay attention to the healthcare delivery system in Nigeria through adequate investment in healthcare infrastructure and better welfare for workers in the sector to stop brain drain.

“Mr. President, now that we have assurance from the top, we are encouraged to go back and talk to our members with a view to going back to work,” said Ogbonna.

Mr. Olumide Akintayo, a member of the executive council of the union, who accompanied the acting chairman to the meeting, also urged the Federal Government to always respond to labour issues and nip them in the bud before they become a full-blown industrial crisis.