By Idowu Adebomi, Ado Ekiti
The Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), Ekiti State Chapter, has rejected the circular released by the Federal Government on the proposed upward review of allowances for health workers.
The union asked the government to stop the circular forthwith before the expiration of the 21-day ultimatum issued by the national body or face industrial action.
The Ekiti State Chairman of the Association, Dr Ifedayo Oreyemi, disclosed this on Wednesday while addressing newsmen in Ado-Ekiti.
The Federal Government had released a circular through the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission on June 27, 2025, with reference number SWC/S/04/S.218/11/646 on the supposed upward review of allowances.
According to Dr Oreyemi, the circular is a flagrant contravention of previous Collective Bargaining Agreements that emphasised the existence of relativity in the remuneration of doctors with other health care workers.
He noted that the action of the government clearly demonstrated its insensitivity and hypocrisy in keeping to terms of the agreements previously entered into with the Nigerian Medical Association.
Aside from the withdrawal of the circular, Dr Oreyemi highlighted the eighteen demands of the association which he said must be met to avert the impending strike.
The demands include the immediate withdrawal of the circular on the review of allowances for medical/dental officers in the federal public service dated 27th June 2025; immediate correction of consequential adjustments in line with the agreements of 2001, 2009, and 2014 CBAs; immediate correction of the relativity agreed between CONMESS and CONHESS, and compliance with relativity in all professional allowances as per the 2001 CBA, particularly regarding call duty allowances and the payment of all accrued backlogs; immediate payment of the Medical Residency Training Fund (MRTF) for 2025 and upward review of the MRTF to reflect prevailing economic realities; and immediate convocation of the long-overdue Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) negotiations on CONMESS.
Others include the immediate release of the circular on clinical duty and other allowances for honorary consultants as agreed in January 2024; implementation of scarce skills allowances for medical consultants; approval of specialist allowances for all doctors; approval of excess workload allowances for all doctors; and compliance with the CBA of 2021 on hazard allowance, among others.
Dr Oreyemi condemned the statement made by a government spokesman on national TV where he alleged that former President Buhari would have died long ago if he had been treated in Nigeria, stating that the comment was reckless.
According to him, medicine is universal, and Nigerian doctors are among the best physicians and surgeons anywhere in the world. He added that Nigerian politicians should endeavour to invest in the country’s health sector as is done in countries where they always run for medical assistance.
