No be small wahala o! The health workers wey dey under Joint Health Sector Unions (JOHESU) don dey strike for the past 82 days, and na serious matter wey dey cause plenty wahala for health sector. As e be, dem still dey insist say Federal Government gats adjust the Consolidated Health Salary Structure (CONHESS), if dem wan end dis industrial action.
Since the strike started, government hospitals don turn to ghost towns. Patients dey waka left and right looking for how dem go fit get medical attention. Even pharmacists, laboratory scientists, and other support staff don join the strike, making sure say the government hear dem loud and clear.
JOHESU don enter this strike after dem submit report since 2021, but e be like say di government no wan bulge. According to di labor group, dem dey call di strike as a way to protest di “maltreatment” dey go on, wey don dey affect not just dem, but all di people wey dey depend on public health services.
As e stand now, NLC and TUC don give Federal Government ultimatum wey go expire on February 6, 2026. If dem no take action, na so other affiliate unions go join too, as everybody dey rally for health workers. Di last time wey dem increase salaries for CONMESS na back in January 2014, and this dey vex di health workers, who dey wonder why dem no fit get di same treatment.
Dem dey even talk say na injustice, bad faith and disrespect to health workers. Dem also call out di Federal Government say dem no dey serious about di issue, especially as dem fit quickly adjust things for di medical doctors.
Kabiru Minjibir, di National President of JOHESU, don talk say negotiations still dey deadlocked, and di strike go continue. E still talk say dem never hear from di government since dem declare di ultimatum. Na serious matter wey dey unfold, and for areas wey dey affected, na big wahala.
Dis strike dey come at a bad time as Lassa fever cases don dey rise for di country. Di Data from di Nigeria Centre for Disease Control show say over 90 cases and 17 deaths don happen within di first three weeks of 2026. Dis dey raise concerns wetin dis ongoing strike go mean for people wey need medical attention.
People wey go hospital these days fit dey meet locked doors. Even for state-owned hospitals like Ekiti and Benue, some workers don gree to dey work, but e no dey easy as dem dey feel di pressure from di overflowing number of patients wey dey come.
Na so di situation be for hospitals across di country. Patients dey complain say dem dey switch to private hospitals, because government hospitals no dey deliver. As health workers dey talk say dem no wan make patients suffer, di government still dey drag di matter wan go far.
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