Nasarawa doctors reject N10,000 wage award and ask Gov. Sule to pay their Hazard allowance

The Nasarawa State chapter of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) has rejected the ₦10,000 wage award offered to civil servants by the state government as a palliative measure to mitigate the impact of the fuel subsidy removal.

In a formal letter addressed to Governor Abdullahi Sule, dated October 30th, the association called for the implementation of the reviewed hazard allowance, along with the settlement of 23 months’ worth of accrued arrears.

The letter, signed by Drs. Attah Peter and Ashiegbu Kelechi, the Chairman and Secretary of the association, respectively, explained that both the Federal Government and other states, including Benue, Kwara, Delta, Rivers, Yobe, Plateau, Ekiti, Ondo, and Enugu, have already implemented the hazard allowance and other welfare enhancements to facilitate improved service delivery within the healthcare sector.

The NMA said this will serve as a motivating factor for their members, encouraging them to rededicate themselves and enhance healthcare service delivery in the state.

The association also recalled the tragic loss of three medical doctors and other healthcare workers within the state to Lassa fever and other health-related hazards over the past two years.

It said: “It is imperative that the reviewed hazard allowance is implemented to motivate our members to rededicate and recommit themselves to duty for improved healthcare service delivery in the state.”

The NMA insisted that the medical doctors employed by the state government firmly favor the implementation of the hazard allowance over the palliatives agreed upon between the Organized Labour and the State Government.

“The Medical Doctors on the payroll of the State Government prefer and want the hazard allowance implementation rather than the palliatives the Organized Labour and the State Government agreed.” The letter read in part.

The association described the payment of the wage reward as surprising and shocking, citing a recent meeting with the Deputy Governor of the state, Dr. Emmanuel Agbadu Akabe, who confirmed that the State Government had granted approval for the commencement of the payment of the hazard allowance to medical doctors on its payroll.

The NMA insists that they will remain adamant in their quest for improved working conditions and compensation, arguing it is essential to enhance the quality of healthcare services provided in Nasarawa State.