Fashola Slams Striking Doctors

Following the strike embarked upon by medical doctors in the state, Governor Babatunde Fashola of Lagos State says government cannot spend all its earning on paying workers’ salaries and asked the doctors to have a rethink.

Fashola spoke at the weekend at the 2011 Annual Interdenominational Divine Service organised by the Lagos State Chapter of the Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN held at the Apostolic Church International Convention Grounds, Ketu, Lagos, South West Nigeria.

He insisted that the doctors were too much in a hurry to go on strike even after the state government had fulfilled its dues to them and urged the doctors to show restraint.

“We have fulfilled our part of the bargain to ensure that immediately the budget was signed, the payment would commence. There is the need for the doctors to show restraint, tolerance and forbearance as not everybody gets what he wants.

“The reality of the new wage we are offering is that the most junior doctor moves from N110, 000 per month to N170,000 while the senior doctors moved from about 360,000 to over 700,000 per month.

“It will not be possible for government to spend all that it earns on payment of salaries because there are roads to be built, drainages to be cleared and security to be maintained. Every patrol vehicle deployed in the quest to maintain security consumes fuel and diesel which must be funded. It is also the preoccupation of the government to clear refuse and provide water,” he stated.

According to Fashola, the new wage bill for all categories of public servants in the state had moved from about N52 billion annually to over N72 billion, stressing that if the economy improved the present government had shown that it could in deed respond to such.

He explained that part of the move to pay the new wage package for the doctors was the convening of an extra-ordinary Executive Council meeting on 3 February following the signing of the budget on 31 January to approve the memo for the new wages and allowances,  “but surprisingly, the next day a strike was started.”

The governor reminded the doctors that unlike the Federal Government which they wanted the state to replicate its salary figures, the state government also provided cars, houses and free healthcare to its doctors which was not done at the federal level.
He added that his administration had made the state safer and had improved its public transportation as well as its security, saying that “we are also improving its economy as more people have got jobs through repairs, development, renovations and constructions going on at various sites across the state.

“More jobs are also being created through improved security which is giving renewed confidence to investors. Between 2007 and today, more investors have come into Lagos. Two new telecommunication outfits, Etisalat and Airtel with Kentucky Fried Chicken, Mastercard and TNC have come and they are giving job opportunities to your children. The economy is heading in the right direction.”

He said in the transportation sector, several thousands of taxis have been added to the fleet on the roads which was an indication of a growing economy just as Nigerians who were driving buses in winter in Europe now have an opportunity to work back home.

“In the field of agriculture, 100 out of 1000 graduate farmers have graduated. We also have 100 hectares of land provided for them and another N540 million for take-off capital as young farmers. The same will be provided after another six months when another set of 100 graduate farmers complete their training,” he said.

Earlier, the Chairman of the state chapter of CAN, Monsignor Bernard Okoduwa, described Fashola as God’s precious gift to Lagos who has made giant strides in all fields, adding that the CAN members had gathered to pray for the continued positive development going on in Lagos and also enjoined every adult of voting age to go out during the forthcoming elections to vote for honesty, transparency, humility and godliness in candidates.

In his sermon and lecture, a former Bishop of Lokoja, Rt. Rev George Bako, urged Nigerians to connect with God “because every mortal represents a branch of the tree in the vineyard which will not achieve anything if it severs its link with God Almighty.”
He called for a day of fasting and prayers when all Nigerians could pray for divine intervention in the country’s affairs, saying it should be the pre-occupation of everyone to minimise corruption in Nigeria.

—Kazeem Ugbodaga