The reported reluctance of the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) to address the salary arrears, wage awards, and skipping allowances owed to health workers in Abuja is deeply concerning.
Development Diaries reports that dozens of health care professionals said that they had petitioned the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) minister, Nyesom Wike, and the relevant permanent secretaries in the FCT regarding months of unpaid arrears.
According to an exclusive report by Legit.ng, the situation has brought them financial hardship and frustration, as it caused many of them to rely on loans to survive.
The employees, who include nurses, doctors, chemists, and lab scientists, claimed to be exhausted, demotivated, and abandoned, many of them are also having difficulty providing for their families and making ends meet.
More saddening is the fact that the FCT permanent secretary told the workers that it is against the civil service rule to protest, according to the findings, and that they are privileged to be employed.
Health workers are the backbone of Nigeria’s health care system, tirelessly providing essential services that safeguard the well-being of citizens.
Denying them their rightful earnings just undermines their dedication and morale and threatens the stability of the healthcare sector in the nation’s capital.
It is unacceptable that those who work day and night to save lives are left to suffer due to administrative neglect. The FCTA’s failure to honour its commitments is a breach of trust but a gross injustice that demands immediate redress.
The continued delay in fulfilling these obligations is a disservice to the entire health care system and poses a risk to the quality of care provided to residents of Abuja.
Come to think of it. President Bola Tinubu recently approved a new national policy to curb health workforce migration, which is meant to encourage the return of professionals to Nigeria through attractive incentives. How can this be achieved when health workers continue to be treated in this manner?
Recall that the Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Muhammad Pate in March, had noted that the country had only 55,000 licenced doctors to serve its growing population of over 200 million. This number is set to decrease if the welfare of health workers is not treated with utmost importance.
Development Diaries calls on the FCT Minister, Wike, to urgently intervene and address this critical issue. The minister must take decisive action to ensure that the FCTA immediately pays all outstanding salary arrears, wage awards, and skipping allowances owed to health workers in the territory.
Anything less would be a dereliction of duty and a betrayal of the trust that these essential workers have placed in the administration. The health of our nation depends on the well-being of those who care for us.
Photo source: Commonwealth Secretariat
