COMMUNIQUE ISSUED AT THE END OF
EMERGENCY CONGRESS MEETING OF ASSOCIATION OF RESIDENT DOCTORS (ARD), UNIVERSITY
OF NIGERIA TEACHING HOSPITAL (UNTH), WHICH HELD ON THURSDAY 17TH SEPTEMBER 2015
AT THE DOCTORS’ COMMON ROOM, UNTH ITUKU OZALLA ENUGU STATE.
The
Association of Resident Doctors, University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital held
an emergency Congress on Thursday 17th September, 2015 to deliberate on the
recent moves made by President Muhammadu Buhari GCFR through the Office of the
Head of Civil Service of the Head of Civil Service of the Federation (OHSCF)
and the outcome of the meeting held between representatives of ARD UNTH, some
elders of the Medical Profession in UNTH and the UNTH management.
OBSERVATIONS
1) Members noted that President
Muhammadu Buhari, acting through the OHSCF released a circular with reference
no; HCSF/428/S.1/128 dated September 14, 2015 and signed by the HCSF Danladi
Kifasi, directing all Ministries Departments and Agencies to compute and
forward details of all arrears owed civil servants within seven days.
Members viewed this as an act of
good will and utter sensitivity to the plight of the civil servants in Nigeria.
2) Members thanked some of the
elders of the medical profession in UNTH; Dr J. C. Okafor, Prof
Nene Obianyo, Prof A. Ikeme, Prof B. C. Ibeh, Dr J. U. Achebe, Prof G. N. Adimorah
and Dr A. U. Mbah; the Chairman of NMA Enugu State, Dr George Ugwu; and the
Chairman MDCAN UNTH Chapter, Assoc. Prof. Ikenna Onwuekwe for mediating between
ARD UNTH and the UNTH Management in a meeting held on Monday 14th
September, 2015 at the Board room of UNTH, Ituku Ozalla.
3) Members noted the new position of
UNTH on our demands as captured in a correspondence from the CMD UNTH, DR C. C.
Amah to the President of ARD UNTH, Dr Ugwuoke Aloy Ifedinso.
4)
Members
most especially thanked the Medical Elders for standing in as sureties to these
promises made by the CMD and promising upon their honour to ensure the CMD does
not renege on his promises.
5)
Members
also noted that 3 months deductions made from our salaries for ARD dues
and other rather recent deductions made from members’ salaries for ARD UNTH
have not been paid into ARD account. To make matters worse, one of the
capitations was paid into ARD account domicile with Firstbank of Nigeria plc on
Friday 11th September, 2015 was withdrawn from ARD account on Monday
14th September, 2015 WITHOUT our notice. The promise of the Accounts
department to rectify the problem and credit ARD UNTH account with all relevant
deductions made from members salary before the end of this present week was
also noted.
6)
ARD UNTH
also noted the demotion of some of our members without any prior notice.
RESOLUTIONS
After extensive deliberations, members resolved as
follows:
1)
That the
11 week old strike of ARD UNTH will be suspended with effect from 8am of
Monday, 21st September 2015 based on:
i)
Our due
consideration for our patients who have been subjected to immense hardship
during the course of the strike action.
ii)
The
commitment of our CMD, Dr C. C. Amah and our respect for our elders, on the
grounds that what happened in 2014 will not repeat itself again.
iii)
The sensitive
intervention of President Muhammadu Buhari who has in the circular from the
HCSF promised to offset all arrears owed civil servants.
2)
That
members of ARD UNTH will resume this total and indefinite strike action if by
the end of September, all the promises made by the UNTH management that should
be fulfilled in September for Doctors and patients welfare are not actualized.
This serves as a notice for that strike action as there may not be further
communication/notice to that effect.
3)
That we
demand that no member of ARD UNTH should be victimized in any way, for being
part of this struggle for our legitimate rights and welfare of patients, both
now and in the future.
4)
The UNTH
management is highly advised in the interest of the patients of UNTH to OBEY
the Federal Government directive contained in this circular with reference no;
HCSF/428/S.1/128 dated September 14, 2015 and signed by the HCSF Danladi Kifasi
and ENSURE they include in their computation, arrears of skipping from January,
2014 till date, and include the percentage they will so deny doctors.
Doctors in UNTH will not and
cannot tolerate any attempt to us or to wrongly capture our arrears of skipping
from January 2014, all advancement arrears, relativity arrears and 2014
teaching allowance arrears.
5)
Although
the UNTH Management has promised to commence 50% implementation of skipping
from October 2015, we are still convinced that the UNTH Management has or will
soon have the capacity to pay Doctors appropriately. We therefore implore our
CMD, Dr C. C. Amah to ensure 100% implementation of federal government
circulars on skipping.
6)
UNTH
Management are also advised to immediately place back all our members who were
demoted ‘in pay’ with the August salary and the difference in their salary paid
without any further delay. We believe that non reversal of this ill-fated move
is capable of generating another round of industrial disharmony. This is
preventable and we implore management to take immediate action.
7)
That the
boreholes being sank in the hospital and the renovations ongoing in the wards
for better care of our patients are highly commendable. We insist that these
moves should be sustained in the interest of our patients and their relatives.
8)
Members
once more appreciate the President and commander in Chief of the Nigerian Armed
forces, Muhammadu Buhari for his intervention and sensitivity to the plights of
civil servants in Nigeria. The ‘change’ is here and it is being felt by
Nigerians across board.
Members also appreciate the
Chairman, NMA Enugu State, Dr George Ugwu, the leadership and members of MDCAN
UNTH, elders of medical profession in UNTH, the CMD, the CMAC, Dr Mrs Anne Ndu
and other members of UNTH management for the roles each of them played in
seeing to the end of this impasse. We pray they will use their good
offices/positions to prevent further strike actions in the future by insisting
on fulfilling all the promises made and obeying all federal government
circulars.
9)
In a
special way, members appreciate the masses and our colleagues in other
hospitals in Enugu state, for bearing with us while the strike lasted. We are
not insensitive to their plights and the hardship the strike action imposed on
them but the situation on ground left us with no option. We also sympathize
with those who may have lost their close relatives or friends in the course of
our struggle. We believe the strike action has achieved and will achieve more
for the patients and their relatives too. The end point of this strike is for
better patient care.
We also appreciate the gentlemen
of the press, who gave us the enabling environment to express ourselves to the
whole Nigerians, we are not unaware that the role you played helped the speedy
resolution of this action.
10)
There is
an opportunity now to prevent further industrial actions in UNTH, by the
hospital management keeping to their promises. We therefore implore all
Nigerians to join us in appealing to the UNTH management never to renege on
these promises so as to maintain the calm in UNTH and PREVENT further
disruption of services.
ARD UNTH will always be willing to
play her role whenever needed.
Thanks.
Signed:
President General Secretary
Dr Chukwuma C. Oraegbunam
Public relations Officer
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