Israel Umoh
The Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), Akwa Ibom State chapter has issued a 21-day ultimatum to the management of the University of Uyo (UNIUYO) in Akwa Ibom beginning from Wednesday, April 2, with a threat to call out its members on strike over issues bordering on poor handling of emoluments and welfare.
Addressing journalists after its emergency meeting in Uyo, the state capital on Wednesday, NMA Chairman, Dr. Aniekan Imo Peter said the association resolved to embark on strike following failure to reach agreement with the management of UNIUYO.
In a communique at the end of the meeting, signed by the Chairman, Dr. Peter, and the Assistant Secretary, Dr. Unyime Ndoh, the NMA expressed dismay over what it called the insensitive disposition to the core issues of health services and the welfare of practitioners.
He noted that the attitude of the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Nyaudoh Ndaeyo-led management had over time led members to seeking greener pastures elsewhere including the United States, Canada, United Kingdom and Saudi Arabia.
He said some medical doctors who are University lecturers are not being migrated to Consolidated Medical Salary Structure (CONMESS) in line with the approval of the University of Uyo Governing Council,” lamenting that “the computed arrears have not been paid since 2016, as done in other Universities that migrated medical doctors to CONMESS.”
The NMA Chairman said if after two weeks, the university fails to meet their demands, the association will call on consultants to down their tools in solidarity with the striking lecturers.
‘‘After another two weeks, we will call on health workers in all the health facilities in the state to down their tools to press home their demands,’’ he stated.
Dr. Peter noted that about 100 medical lecturers are affected by the refusal of the university to allow them to migrate to CONMESS instead of CONUAS, which is unfavourable to them, thus leading to brain drain (japa) syndrome.
The communique added, “There is grossly inadequate medical lecturers and medical officers at the Health Centre working in the University. This has caused immense stress and excess and unnecessary workload on our members.
“There is a protracted delay in the promotion of Some Medical lecturer with concurrent loss of remuneration especially at this time of hardship in the country and mass exodus of medical doctors.
“Medical lecturers are still being owed three and half months salary, which was withheld during the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) strike of 2022.
“Congress noted that management contributed to non-payment of medical lecturers by refusing to sign letters to the minister as requested, even as other medical schools had been paid.”
Consequently, the state NMA issued a 21-day ultimatum to the UNIUYO management within which to “migrate all medical doctors who are lecturers to CONMESS, in line with the approval of the University of Uyo Governing Council, with immediate payment of arrears, as applicable in some other federal Universities in Nigeria.”
The university should conduct employment of lecturers into medical programmes in the University as well as medical doctors into the University of Uyo Health Centre.
“The immediate promotion of due medical lecturers in the University without further delay with payment of promotion arrears to all medical lecturers. The immediate payment of outstanding three and a half month salaries to medical lecturers.
“That a 21-day ultimatum be issued to the management of the University of Uyo to implement all the demands. That failure to implement those concerns, the Nigerian Medical Association will proceed on an indefinite strike without further notice to press down its demands.
“The leadership of the Nigerian Medical Association Akwa Ibom State Branch is willing and ready to meet with the University management at any convenient time within the 21-day window starting from 2nd of April 2025,” the NMA said.
Also speaking, Dr. Ibiok Usendiah, the Chairman of Medical and Dental Consultants Association of Nigeria (MDCAN), University of Uyo Teaching Hospital explained that 33 medical lecturers are on Consolidated University Academic Salary Structure (CONUAS) scale.
According to him, the Vice Chancellor of the UNIUYO has refused to allow the medical lecturers to return to CONMESS implemented since 2019.
‘‘Once you work as a medical doctor in the employ of health facility you are paid on CONMESS scale by the Federal Ministry of Health. But if you become a lecturer, you are paid CONUAS by the Federal Ministry of Education. The difference between a professor on CONMESS and CONUAS is N400,000. So, it is better as a medical lecturer to remain on CONMESS rather than on CONUAS,’’ Usendiah asserted.
At the press briefing were Dr. Ekemini Johnson, the state Financial Secretary of NMA and also the Chairman of Medical and Dental Specialists’ Association in Basic Medical Sciences) and Dr. Solomon Bassey, Secretary of Medical and Dental Consultants Association of Nigeria (MDCAN), University of Uyo Teaching Hospital Chapter.
