Accommodate CONHESS Approved Sum In N80b FMoH Salary Adjustment Budget Proposal, FG Told
By Christiana Onuoha
The Joint Health Sector Unions (JOHESU) and Assembly of Healthcare Professional Associations (AHPA) have enjoined the Federal government to “ensure that whatever sum was approved for adjustment of CONHESS was accommodated in the 80 Billion Budget proposal for salary adjustment of the Federal Ministry of Health or other sources the Federal Government employs in defraying such emergency expenditure, particularly, because of the tortuous path JOHEUS/AHPA embarked on in the last eight (8) years of agitating for this Adjustment.
The Unions in a communique signed by Comrade (Chief) M.O, Ajorutu, the Ag. National Secretary, on behalf of the National Chairman JOHESU, Comrade Josiah Biobelemoye, also demanded that FMoH should immediately circularise positions canvassed by JOHESU/AHPA to sanction erring Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) of Federal Health Institutions that refused to implement the Circular on Consultant Cadre from the office of the Head of Civil Service of the Federation for Pharmacists which have been implemented by less than 10 of the 56 FHIs in the country.
Meanwhile, the Federal government as part of it moves to government prevent the Unions from kickstarting it’s proposed industrial action, has constituted a seven man technical committee to fine-tune adjustments in the new Consolidated Health Salary Structure (CONHESS).
Noted that CONHESS is the salary scale structure used by the federal government of Nigeria to pay health workers, such as Nurses, Pharmacists, Physiotherapists, Medical Laboratory Scientists, and Radiographers.
“JOHESU Leadership reviewed the totality of the meeting of October 6, 2021 at the instance of the Federal Government team comprising of National Salaries Income and Wages Commission (NSIWC), Budget Office, Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment (FML&E), Federal Ministry of Health (FMoH), Head of Civil Service of the Federation (HOCSOF), Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System (IPPIS), which was graced by JOHESU/AHPA leadership.
“After a thorough evaluation of the meeting, JOHESU/AHPA resolved as follows: we applaud the decision of the meeting to guarantee the participation of all the five Trade Unions and AHPA at the sessions relating to matters pertaining to Adjustment of CONHESS, noting with strong emphasis that this guarantees the laudable spirit of participatory industrial democracy.
“Membership of the Committe comprises of two (2) Representatives of Joint Health Sector Union JOHESU, and one representative each of the National Salaries Income and Wages Commission (NSIWC), Budget Office, Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment (FML&E), Federal Ministry of Health (FMoH), Head of Civil Service of the Federation (HOCSOF), Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System (IPPIS).
“JOHESU/AHPA called on the Technical team to fulfil its mandate of coming up with an acceptable sum dedicated to the utilisation of adjustment of CONHESS within a reasonable timeline.
“JOHESU/AHPA approved the timeline of two (2) weeks in the first instance that was resolved by the committee at the October 6, 2021 meeting as a step in the right direction.”
