NMA, live and let live, please

The industrial action embarked upon by members of the Joint Health Sector Union (JOHESU) is really putting many Nigerians in distress. Many patients who would have been rescued from the jaws of death have lost their lives as a result of the strike and many more lives are still in danger.

JOHESU is pressing for a better condition of service. They never claimed to be superior to medical doctors or even being at par with them. They are not even claiming the same salary with doctors. All that they are saying is “we are not interested in how much you decide to pay doctors, but give us a living wage too.” This is not asking too much. But the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) appears to be meddling in the negotiation between Federal Government, and JOHESU, a situation that has even attracted the ire of the Minister of Labour and Productivity, Chris Ngige. The minister, a medical doctor himself, the other day was so incensed at the posturing of his colleagues-in-practice, that he advised them to stop the meddlesomeness. He rightly noted that such meddlesomeness arising from an unhealthy inter-union rivalry would adversely put pressure on social dialogue mechanism.

In the spirit of “Egbe bere, ugo bere”, NMA should cease from antagonising JOHESU, after all, NMA has gone on an uncountable number of costly strikes since 1999 to press for one thing or the other.

Rather than solidarising with JOHESU, NMA appears to be bad-mouthing and laughing at their calamity. For instance, it is unfortunate for the Ekiti State chapter of the NMA to be celebrating that despite JOHESU strike their hospitals in the state are in full operation.

Now, they are advising JOHESU to press for improved welfare within the ambit of international best practices, but do members of the NMA preach the same sermon to themselves each time they go on strike requesting for more money?

The arrogance imbedded in the claim of smooth operations in Ekiti hospitals despite JOHESU strike is condemnable and does not make for industrial harmony. Little wonder government hospitals in the country are now dreaded like a plague.

So, what Ekiti NMA is saying is that JOHESU should be scrapped as they, the doctors, can handle everything that makes for smooth operation in government hospitals? I read covetousness from their eyes. I see the wicked lines of hatred and enmity on their foreheads. Why are we like this?

War without end?

The frosty relationship between the Executive arm of government and the Legislature is far from abating. The emergence of the leadership of the National Assembly in a manner that was contrary to the plan of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has continued to hunt Bukola Saraki and Yakubu Dogara, the Senate president and speaker, House of Representatives, respectively. Those who chose to swim or sink with Saraki have also tasted of the fury of government at the centre. When Nigerians thought that the impasse had come to an end with the recent meeting between the President and the two leaders of the bicameral legislature (Saraki and Dogara), a new chapter is being opened with the allegation by Saraki that the Inspector-General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, a man who bluntly refused to honour a summon by the Senate on the rising level of insecurity in the country, is trying to frame him up in phantom cult activities. That may have opened a fresh reason for the enmity to drag. It has become obvious that the ruling party will go into 2019 general election a divided house. Today, many members of the National Assembly are afraid to speak out and speak up, even inside their hallowed chambers because they believe their lives are in danger. They point to the Dino Melaye ordeal. We cannot just continue this way. We want harmonious arms of government that will deliver the dividends of democracy to all Nigerians. It is possible.

Boko Haram: Insurgents or jihadists?

When we first heard about the activities of the Boko Haram, Islamist sect, we thought they were mere rebels against authority or leadership of Nigeria. At that time they told us that they were fighting because they did not like western education. They began to bomb churches and mosques. But now, it appears they have picked their targets. They now appear to be pursuing certain expansionist agenda. Succinctly put, they are jihadists, trying to expand the frontiers of Islam. The continued detention of Leah Sharibu, an innocent girl from Dapchi, who was kidnapped alongside others in February by some members of Boko Haram, over the allegation that she refused to be converted to Islam, has said it all. It is over three months now and the poor girl is still being held or may have been killed even, and life goes on in Nigeria. Despite profuse assurances by the Federal Government that it was going to do everything humanly possible to bring the girl back to her parents, government last week, came up with a dampener, with its lamentation that the negotiations with members of the Boko Haram insurgents to secure the release of the girl have been a tortuous mission. So, are we now fighting against jihadists or normal insurgents?

 Not yet freedom song for El-Zakzaky

For over two years or so, the leader of Islamic Movement in Nigeria (Shiites), Shiekh Ibraheem El-Zakzaky and his wife, Zainab, have been in maximum incarceration following a bloody clash between members of his group and the security operatives in Kaduna State.

His detention has since elicited many more riots and protests, some of which were fatal.

Although calls from various quarters had been made for the man’s release, government appears uncomfortable with the movement’s approach to their religion.

Sometime last week, some pictures trended in the media, of El-Zakzaky boarding a vehicle. It was understood that he was being taken from the DSS custody in Abuja to Kaduna to be arraigned before a state high court on charges of culpable homicide and unlawful assembly.

Members of the movement expressed worries last week that they were not able to establish contact with him after his arraignment in Kaduna.

Pundits say the arraignment may have given hope that the man’s ultimate freedom or otherwise, is in sight.

Here is advising the Federal Government to follow the rule of law in the man’s prosecution. Intimidation and persecution will only yield more violent protests by the group.

Too, too many killings

The way we hear about deaths in the country, death itself may be even getting tired of Nigeria and Nigerians. There are too many senseless avenues Nigerians die nowadays. Death by food poisoning has become widespread; ritual killings; all manner of accidents; deaths from excessive phone charging; deaths from generator explosion and the most senseless of all is that caused by Boko Haram and Fulani herdsmen! Last week, a coalition of Civil rights groups, International Society for Civil Liberties and the Rule of Law (InterSociety) alleged that over 220 deaths arising from what it called non-traditional crimes, have been recorded. One important fact is that not even all deaths are captured. The rate of killings in Kaduna, Nasarawa, Taraba, Benue and Jos is very alarming. Zamfara, Adamawa and Borno are also dripping with the blood of the massacred.

The coalition knocks the Federal Government and the Nigeria Police.

It said the police record and statistics on actual number of deaths are moribund. Too, too bad!

Zebulon Agomuo 

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