Lagos Wage Bill Hits N72b

Following the increase in the salaries of workers, the annual wage bill of the Lagos State Government has hit a whooping N72 billion.

Before now, the wage bill of the state government was around N40 billion but has climbed higher because of the recent increase.

Commissioner for Health, Dr. Jide Idris, while briefing newsmen on Wednesday on the latest of the strike embarked upon by doctors in the state said the state government now has a wage bill of about N6 billion monthly, saying it was very huge.

He said before now, the wage bill was around N3.5 billion per month but had risen due to the recent increase in salaries.

The commissioner however, appealed to striking doctors to call off their strike and enter into dialogue with government, saying that they should consider the plight of the masses bearing the brunt.

Idris stated that the government had further re-adjusted its new salary structure for medical officers, dental officers, veterinary doctors and consultants to accommodate the yearnings and feelings of the Medical Guild.

He assured the people that government was doing all within its powers to reduce the hardship that might be caused by the strike action.

Idris said with the re-adjusted new salary structure for consultants, medical and dental officers and veterinary doctors, the highest level of consultants, would earn N700, 015.50 monthly as against the N300, 000 they earn under the former salary structure.

While urging the doctors to bring to fore any areas of disagreement with the new salary structure, the commissioner stated that the state government was willing and ready to listen to areas of discomfort they might have with the new salary structure.

He expressed worry at the news that the striking doctors were frustrating the effort of doctors in private employment who had offered to help the state government run its hospitals to cushion the effect of the strike.

“The news reaching me also indicated the striking doctors are harassing and threatening some of their colleagues who are willing to come back to work.

“Even nurses in the state employment who have issues with the salary structure did not resort to a strike action to press home their demand.

The call for strike by the guild is totally unnecessary as the state government has thrown its doors open to listen to complaints and sort out all grey areas,” he added.

Idris disclosed that with the new package, government had offered doctors 90 percent increase out of the 100 percent they were demanding for.

In the new wage bill for doctors, doctors on grade level 10, which is the lowest level, now earn N173, 927.33 monthly, while those on level 12 will now earn a minimum wage of N201, 475 and a maximum of N219, 938 monthly.

Also, doctors on grade level 14 will now receive a minimum pay of N501, 906.83 and a maximum pay on step 4 of N550, 938.58 monthly.

Furthermore, a consultant on level 15 will now earn a minimum salary of N439, 576.50 and a maximum pay of N480, 450.50.

A consultant on level 16 will now get a maximum of N579, 527.17 while a consultant on level 17 will now get a maximum salary of N700, 015.50.

—Kazeem Ugbodaga