President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has called on the Joint Health Sector Union (JOHESU), a division of the Nigeria Labour Congress, to end their strike and resume work.
The appeal came during a meeting with union leaders at the presidential office.
The President highlighted the importance of the health sector and made commitments to address the existing challenges in the system.
“The health sector is one sector with a commitment to humanity. We will resolve all the problems. Trust must be enshrined in all discussions. I promise you we will accelerate this. We will resolve all the issues. Please go back to work,” President Tinubu said.
In a statement by Abiodun Oladunjoye, Director of Information at the State House, the President re-emphasized his administration’s determination to restore public faith in Nigeria’s health sector.
The Acting Chairman of the union, Dr Obinna Ogbonna, expressed readiness to encourage members to return to work. However, he urged the President to make substantial investments in healthcare infrastructure and improve welfare for workers to mitigate the ongoing brain drain in the sector.
“Mr President, now that we have assurance from the top, we are encouraged to go back and talk to our members with a view to going back to work,” said Dr Ogbonna.
Meanwhile, a member of the Union’s Executive Council, Mr Olumide Akintayo called on the Federal Government to be proactive in addressing labour issues to prevent them from escalating into significant industrial disputes.
