Kogi doctors suspend strike

The Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) in Kogi state has suspended its 18-day old strike to enable the government meet up with her demands.

The Chairman of the association, Dr Godwin Tijani, said this to newsmen in a statement issued after its Ordinary General Meeting (OGM) in Lokoja on Thursday.

Dr. Tijani explained that the members agreed to suspend the strike because the State Government has met about 70 per cent of their demands and has promised to address other outstanding issues before September.

“As an understanding association, NMA deemed it fit to suspend the strike to give government the benefit of doubt.

“We appreciate government for reinstating and payment of the salaries of our colleagues employed in 2015. We believe that the promise of reinstating some of our colleagues still on the uncleared list will also be fulfilled.

“NMA has also been assured by government that the Relativity and corrected CONMESS will be implemented by September and we are looking forward to that.

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“The association is also impressed with the government decision to implement promotion and stepping for doctors to prevent the stagnation doctors have suffered for years.

“Congress therefore suspend the strike action for three months and to reconvene in September to reappraise the suspended strike and resume if our demands are not met,” Tijani said.

The association has also appealed to the government for the regularisation of doctors’ salary and implementation of the revised CONMESS, promotions and annual stepping in a bid to avoid future strike in the states’ health sector.

NAN recalls that the NMA on June 5 directed its members to resume the strike they suspended on May 13, citing the state government’s failure to fulfill its promises to the doctors.