JOHESU LAUTECH Teaching Hospital writes Gov Makinde – ‘This why we’re on strike’
Abdulrasak BELLO
The Joint Health Sector Unions (JOHESU), Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH) Teaching Hospital, Ogbomoso branch, has made a passionate appeal to the Oyo state governor, Engr Seyi Makinde, to consider its demands bothering majorly on improved funding of the hospital and welfare of the staff.
This is contained in a letter to the governor, titled, “Issues of urgent attention.”
JOHESU, an amalgamation of four unions – Non Academic Staff Union (NASU), Medical and Health Workers Union of Nigeria (MHWUN), Nigeria Union of Allied Health Professionals (NUAHP) and Senior Staff Association of Universities, Teaching Hospitals, Research Institutes And Associated Institutions (SSAUTHRIAI) – began an indefinite strike action last week to press home its demands, while it held a congress Wednesday at the premises of the institution on the matter.
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The letter signed by the chairmen of the unions viz: Comrades Olobaniyi David (NASU), Olajide R.B. (MHWUN), Olugbodi D.B. (NUAHP) and Adeniran 0.0. (SSAUTHRIAAI), highlighted the requests of the unions including adequate funding, monetization of promotion, commencement of payment of hazard allowances and salary arrears, noting that meeting these demands would further boost the morale of the workers whom it said have been giving their best to ensure the hospital performs at optimal level.
The union stressed the hospital is living up to its mandate of research, training and service, evident, according to it, in successful accreditation programmes and increased number of patients patronising the hospital due to service satisfaction, however lamenting the staff working assiduously to make these happen do not enjoy best welfare package.
It noted the hospital is riddled with several dilapidated buildings that needed to be given a facelift and is in need of greater numbers of qualified health professionals to shore up its staff base saying these make improved funding a necessity.
This is as it bemoaned non-payment of hazard allowances to staff despite the fact the struggle for the package started at the LTH disclosing health professionals in other government health facilities in the state are paid the allowance.
On promotion it expressed regret that for years their promotions did not attract the perquisite financial benefits just as the union in its letter appealed to the governor to pay up the salary arrears owed them from the time of late Governor Abiola Ajimobi who paid them half salaries for 24months cumulating to 1 year salaries as the current repaying style will outlive Omituntun 2.0 tenure.
In rounding off, the union pleads earnestly with the governor to “open door of mercy once again, and to make us smile at LAUTECH Teaching Hospital Ogbomoso,” assuring, “JOHESU members are committed to greatness and we assure your excellency of not reneging in our efforts to take the institution to greater heights.”
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Comrade Olabaniyi, chairman JOHESU in a chat with ogbomosoinsightonline.com after the congress, reiterated, “We have been on this struggle for long, we are not just starting, we have been imploring government to help solve these problems, government is well aware of our demands but it seems they are not concerned about our agitation, we are under-funded, there are many buildings that cannot be maintained, electricity bill, diesel cost, the little revenue being realized is committed to meeting few of our needs. We all know the cost of things today, so, we are being shortchanged.
“On the issue of our promotion, many of us just received the promotion letter, it has no financial implementation, paper promotion without money, up till now it does not translate into increment in salaries. Then, there is the issue of hazard allowance, the hazards we are exposed to is enormous, more than what they face in the university yet they are being paid but we are not, we are on N5, 000 hazard allowance, that is the amount being paid since the 1990s, is it enough to buy paracetamol? We have had cases of staff who died in this hospital because they contracted one disease or the other. The federal government has been paying this allowance since last year, we started this struggle for hazard allowance here. The state government heard about it and paid others health workers in the state with three months arrears but we that started the struggle in LAUTECH TH, are yet to be paid a dime. That is why we are pleading with the government, they should please hearken to us.”
He added, “The issue of promotion is between 6 and 8 years. Very soon they will say 2023 promotion is to be done, but we are not excited about it because we know it will not attract financial benefits as usual. And prices of things continue to soar cost of transportation is high, the suffering is much. Since Ajimobi period we were owed salaries, half salaries we are owed since 10 years ago. They started paying it but it will take ten years to complete the payment the way they are paying it. We are not fighting but pleading.”
Also, Oyelayo Oyeniyi Adesina, a member of the unions, corroborated the chairman, disclosing, “Since 10 to 12 years ago, we have enjoyed only one promotion, from level 6 to 7 that attracted financial benefit, every other promotions since then has no financial backings. During Ajimobi period sack of workers was effected then they began payment of half salary to us, and we are being repaid in piecemeal now. Hazard allowance of N5,000, yet some elsewhere are being paid N30, 000 – N34,000 we started the struggle but others are paid while we are not.”
Meanwhile, JOHESU is the second union that has embarked on strike action in the hospital, the National Association of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives (NANNM), having begun its own strike about a month ago. The hospital is more or less paralyzed now.
Read the letter to the governor in full:
Your Excellency Sir,
ISSUES OF URGENT ATTENTION
LAUTECH Teaching Hospital has been positioned to ensure it functions according to the essence of a Teaching Hospital which are Research, Training and Service. These functions have been maintained and results are evident in various accreditation programs that have been passed with outstanding successes not to mention increase in patient turnover rate as a result of service satisfaction and various health interventions to the citizens of Ogbomoso, people from far and near in Oyo State as well as neighboring States, e.g Osun, Kwara e.t.c. However the goose (the staff) that are laying the golden eggs have not been given their desired attention and due. There is no gain saying the fact that the institution can achieve better and that the staff can be more efficient in productivity if the following age-long issues which have dampened their morale can be given the utmost attention.
1. Hospital funding: It is believed that if the institution is well funded, the overhauling of the rickety infrastructure would be possible, employment of qualified health professionals to tackle shortage of staff syndrome would also be addressed and the management would be able to give the hospital the needed face lift it requires.
2. Payment of hazard allowance – It is sad to observe that despite the approval of new health hazard allowance for medical health professionals in Oyo State, LAUTECH Teaching Hospital is yet to be considered for the payment. This is worrisome when our counterparts in the hospital management board that was not part of the original organisation of the allowance have been considered for immediate payment with 3 months arrears from January to March 2024.
3. Promotions: It’s been close to 6-8 years that the staff of the hospital have been stagnated on a salary scale. The financial implementation of 2018-2023 promotions and its arrears would be appreciated.
4. Arrears of salary: Your Excellency sir, your magnanimity in August 2023 to commence the arrears of half salary payment that was received in the year 2016 to 2017 was highly appreciated. However, it would be of great joy to members of staff if the repayment period is shortened, as the current payment style will take nothing less than six years before it is completed.
Sir, we plead earnestly that you would open door of mercy once again, and to make us smile at LAUTECH Teaching Hospital Ogbomoso.
JOHESU members are committed to greatness and we assure your excellency of not reneging in our effort to take the institution to greater heights.
Thank you in expectation of your kind gesture Sir. Accept our highest regards.
Comradely yours.
Olobaniyi D.O.
NASU
Olugbodi D.B.
NUAHP
Olajide R.B.
MHWUM
Adeniran O. O.
SSAUTHRIAI
