—-Faults rejection of MoA by NARD’s President
By Johnbosco Agbakwuru
The Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige has said that the Federal Government has substantially met the demands of the striking resident doctors.
Consequently, the Minister has faulted the rejection of the Memorandum of Action, MoA signed Wednesday, March 31, 2021, by the President of the National Association of Resident Doctors, NARD, Dr Uyilawa Okhuaihesuyi.
Senator Ngige, who spoke to reporters Saturday, explained that some of the demands by NARD were made in error as some of the issues were already conciliated and implemented a hundred per cent.
He, however, stated the outstanding issues which came up at the last conciliation, were timelined along a month life span of implementation( some a week, other two and three weeks) revealing that “ they are still work in progress .”
He explained that some of the issues such as the abolition of the ‘Bench fees’ by Residents and their Health Institutions payable to sister Hospitals were immediately abolished on the negotiating table.
According to him, “NARD made some of the demands in ignorance. They didn’t have the full picture. Maybe they wished for a strike or their president pushed them into strike so that his name will go into the annals of NARD as one of the thought presidents that has taken them on strike. That’s wrong.”
Senator Ngige faulted the unilateral repudiation of the Memorandum of Action by NARD’s President, describing it as unknown in labour negotiation.
“He didn’t participate in most of the discussions last Wednesday because he fell ill not quite after the meeting started and had to excuse himself. He handed over to his deputy, the Secretary-General and other officers of the association, who fully participated. We spent seven hours and by the time we put our signatures to the papers, it was eight hours.
“ Disowning the MOA duly negotiated is unknown to labour. The two parties to the negotiation signed the MOA. Four officers from government and three from NARD signed the document and the President who was not at the meeting but fully represented by deputies went to NARD’s NEC and disowned the paper because they were signed by his deputy and secretary-general.
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There is what is called transmission of power. He, as the President fell sick and his deputies continued with the meeting. That’s allowed.”
The Minister said even at that, ab initio, it was wrong for NARD to impose a fait accompli on the Federal Government while the negotiation was ongoing.
“ When a trade dispute has been apprehended, no party imposes on the other, a fait accompli. We signed a memorandum that says NARD will go back to its members to educate them on what has been agreed, the timelines placed on them, with a view not to disturb the industrial milieu in the health sector. And we agreed to reconvene after four weeks ”
He said the reason was to allow enough time to implement the issues in the timeline, some of which he said would take three weeks, before reconvening.
He further expressed disappointment that NARD made a detour and mobilized members into action on the Eastertide when Christians are observing the holiest week in their universal calendar.
He dismissed as the untrue, allegation that doctors in the public health institutions across the country were not insured and said the Federal Government spent 13.3 billion naira in 2020, on Group Life Insurance not just for doctors and health workers alone but also for all workers in the federal civil and public service.
“ The Federal Government of Nigeria in March last year, spent N13.3 billion on Group life Insurance for all workers comprising all federal civil servants as well as public servants in some parastatals that cannot afford Group Life Insurance for their staff members.”
He stated that the reason for the composite exercise was to stop a situation where Ministries and agencies of government worked in silos in payment of death benefits to workers and with lapses in some cases.
“This N9.3 billion was paid to thirteen insurance companies and brokerage firms to administer. And this is not the first time that NARD and teaching hospitals have been told to send in names and make claims for members who have lost their lives.
“It is an insurance that runs for one year, from April 10, 2020, to April 9, 2021) and even at that, the new payment is now being processed, so that it becomes a continuous thing.”
The Minister added that NARD was again reminded of the development while signing a Memorandum of Action on Wednesday, March 31, 2012, to put up claims through the Ministry of Health; to the Office of the Head of Service of the Federation as it was the only basis for payment of premium to the beneficiaries.
“ If you have a premium and you don’t make a claim, nobody will pay you. Make your claim, get it in through the Ministry of Health and from there to the Office of the Head of Service. It gets to the Insurance companies and payment will be made.”
He was of the opinion that the procedure was for all health workers, civil servants and public servants in the Federal Government employ, noting that Federal Government fast-tracked the insurance coverage last year in anticipation of casualties attendant upon the Covid-19 outbreak.
“With Covid-19, we envisaged that health workers would need this more than any other person, so the Federal Government rushed the bill. There is a group life insurance in situ now for every health worker, including the doctors and therefore dishonest for anyone to make a claim to the contrary.
“We also have additional insurance from the PTF especially for those who work inside the Covid-19 isolation centres, for them to get something additional.
“ Moreover, there is an insurance for compensation for injuries, diseases and even death in the course of work called Employee Compensation. There is an Act of the Federal Government the Employee Compensation Act being operated by the Nigeria Social Insurance Fund. Once you are insured under it, you make your claim.”
The Minister drew the attention of unions to the fact that unionization for the welfare of workers should not be only for the purpose of the strike, rather, going the extra miles to exploit all opportunities provided by the government for the welfare of the workforce.
“So NARD should make claims for the seventeen of their members it confirmed dead as a result of covid-19. They have the right to make a claim on behalf of their members. The insurance company only need to verify the claims and pay
“They can similarly make claim under the Employee Compensation Act for any of their members who have suffered an injury in the course of his or her work or hazard in the course of work.
“ The NSITF will verify and if such a person exists; that has had an injury, hazard or diseased condition in the course of work, and will pay, and even also to the employer who engaged the victim for loss of his manpower. That is what the Act says.”
Speaking on the Medical Residency Programme which is the major reason for fresh action by NARD, the Minister declared that the programme has been working hitch-free since it came up in 2019, saying that the House of Representatives had to do a supplementary appropriation to accommodate it in 2020 Covid-19 budget and the funds, fully released by the Federal Ministry of Finance.
He, therefore `urged doctors to respect the Hippocratic oath which makes the wellbeing of patients cardinal.”
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