Abuja, Nigeria – As the clock ticked pass midnight dis Wednesday, 25,000 nurses wey dey work for federal hospitals don declare strike, sharp-sharp! Dis nobody wahala, na di National Association of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives (NANNM) carry come. Dem talk say dis strike go last for seven days, no services go dey.
Nurses say dem don try and try talk to di federal government for beta pay, better working condition, and to make dem chop their allowances on time. But e be like say nobody dey listen! Na why dem go carry bell ring for dis strike matter. Morakinyo Rilwan, di big boss of NANNM-FHI, talk say unholy situations dey happen for hospitals and dem need quick fix before e go scatter everywhere.
Hospital wey go suffer pass na di federal ones, wey dey all over Nigeria. From Lagos to Sokoto, e go be total shutdown. No emergency services, no maternity wards, nothing! Dem talk say dis strike go affect 74 federal hospitals, plus general hospitals and primary health centers.
Dis wahala dey come as doctors for Lagos don dey fight their own small battle with di government. Doctors dey complain say dem no dey see their money, and e don dey affect patients wey just wan see doctor. One patient wey dey shout say, “Dis one no fit happen!” dat one don represent everybody wey dey under pressure.
As di nurses dey rise up like ‘Zombies’, di government still dey sleep like say nothing dey happen. Rilwan say, “Na we go face all dis wahala and talk the kind pay wey we deserve, we no go just sit down fold hand.” Naija healthcare system dey shiver as dem two frontline warriors dey go head-to-head with di government.
Dem dey call for beta remuneration, safe working condition, and even say dem wan make many nurses dey employed because of di ‘Japa Syndrome.’ If you dey scratch your head now, ‘Japa Syndrome’ na wen people dey japa go abroad for better life while di nurses wey dey here dey struggle with workloads wey dey heavy pass wetin dem fit carry.
Rilwan talk say although e no easy to strike, dem no fit keep quite again. Nurses dem no don strike for 40 years! Na since 1984 wey dem don keep their mouth shut, but now, di usual kindness don turn to bitter display.
Wetin go happen next? If di government no sit down quick make dem discuss, we fit see more strikes wey go last longer than dis seven days. Nurses don tire! People dey talk say dem actually dey mad to dey work for Nigeria under dis kind condition, but dem still dey here dey care for di sick. Na serious wahala wey dey for face! So as we dey watch dis matter unfold, make you dey ready to find other options for healthcare – e fit carry palm wine for now, no service for hospital oh!
