1st June, 2012
Confusion seems to have set in over yesterday’s recall of the 788 sacked doctors in Lagos State by Governor Babatunde Fashola as the sacked doctors claimed they have not been informed over the development and accused the government of playing politics with the lives of the people.
Government officials seemed not to understand what the governor meant as they were caught unawares by the pronouncement of Fashola.
Chairman, Medical Guild, Dr. Olumuyiwa Odusote told P.M.NEWS this morning that the state government was yet to communicate to them the decision to recall them back to work, saying that the manner in which it was done was not acceptable to the doctors.
According to him, “we have not been recalled,” adding that the governor asked them to regularise their status with the Health Service Commission, HSC, meaning that they would be carrying the status of having been sacked from work.
Olumuyiwa stated emphatically that the issue of regularising their status with the HSC was not tenable and that they would prefer that the issue of the sack should be removed from their status.
“No government official has contacted us yet,” he said, saying that he called the Head of Service on the issue and that he was told to wait for further directive.
“Government is playing politics with the lives of the people. We are meeting today to decide the next line of action,” he said.
Lagos State Chairman, Nigeria Medical Association, NMA, Dr. Edamisan Temiye said: “we don’t know anything about the recall of the sacked doctors,” adding that government was yet to communicate with the doctors on the issue.
He said the government was being deceptive about the entire issue “just to see the doctors as irresponsible. Until we know where we are going, nothing will be done.”
Yesterday, Fashola recalled the 788 sacked doctors back to work after the national leadership of the Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, intervened and mandated Asiwaju Bola Tinubu to meet with Fashola to find ways of resolving the lingering crisis.
Tinubu met with Fashola at the State House, Ikeja, Thursday evening and briefed the press on the outcome of the meeting with the governor, while Fashola agreed to recall the sacked doctors to pave way for more dialogue on the crisis on ground.
—Kazeem Ugbodaga