Strike: Again, Resident Doctors Restate Trust in VP Osinbajo
- Nigerian striking doctors say at the moment, their only hope in resolving the issue is Vice President Yemi Osinbajo
- The vice president waded into the lingering issue recently and leaders of the doctors' union said he has been helpful so far
- Vice President Professor Yemi Osinbajo was recently appointed as the chairman of the health reform committee
FCT, Abuja - The National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) has given credence to the appointment of Vice President Yemi Osinbajo as the chairman of the Health Reform Committee inaugurated by President Muhammadu Buhari, on Monday, September 6 declaring that he is their only hope.
Dr. Okhuaihesuyi Uyilawa, president of NARD, said this while speaking on the Channels TV current affairs programme, Sunrise Daily, however, he expressed a reservation on the action of the minister of labour, Dr Chris Ngige.
Source: Getty Images
Uyilawa said:
“The vice president is our only hope, we met with him on Friday, and unfortunately, on Saturday, we were getting a wrong signal from the minister of labour, that is personal. It is more like an ego thing now.
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“If the minister of labour heard that we had a meeting with the vice president and he is already intervening, why go back to the Presidency the next day to give a wrong impression that we were insisting on putting the no work, no pay in paper?
“We will do everything to end the strike. It is a trust thing. If you have someone that has the integrity, not the ones we have talked with earlier, we will, by all means, find a way to call off the strike.”
Asked if his association believes the vice president has integrity, NARD president said "he has integrity, trust, and he is somebody I believe can make things work."
On his part, the vice president of NARD, Adejo Arome, attesting to Osinbajo’s meeting with the body, told journalists including Legit.ng that the meeting was held virtual via the Zoom app with officials of the association on Friday, September 3.
Arome said the vice president had asked for first-hand information on the issues involved.
His words:
“Vice President Osinbajo reached out to us. He met with the president yesterday (Friday). It was actually a zoom meeting he had with our president though some of us were there. He (Osinbajo) initiated the meeting because he wanted to get the information about what was going on.
“He said he needed details of everything that happened. He asked calmly and we believe that he would do something and we also believe that very soon, he would call us officially.
“We gave him the information. The information we gave him was first-hand and authentic. We are sure other government officials won’t give him such details at all about the whole issue.
“He told us that he did not want the issue to be resolved now and later there would be another strike.
“He said he wants to put the problem to rest once and for all. We are waiting for him to invite us officially and we are certain that he is going to do it. We trust his judgement.”
Osinbajo heads health sector reform committee
Recall that President Muhammadu Buhari had, on Monday, September 6 approved the setting up of a health sector reform committee.
The committee is expected to commence the development and implementation of a health sector reform programme for Nigeria in collaboration with state governments and the FCT administration.
The committee headed by Osinbajo has members drawn from private and public sector health care management professionals, development partners, representatives from the National Assembly as well as the Nigeria Governors Forum among others.
FG flags off second phase of COVID-19 vaccination amid third wave reports
Meanwhile, the federal government of Nigeria on Monday, August 16, commenced the second phase of the COVID-19 vaccination to protect citizens against the deadly disease.
The second phase of the vaccination roll-out campaign is part of the government's efforts to curb the spread of the viral disease’s third wave.
The Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha said Nigeria received about 4 million doses of Moderna vaccines, donated by the United States of America.
Source: Legit.ng
