By Awayi Kuje
The Medical and Health Workers Union of Nigeria (MHWUN) Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Keffi chapter, has commended the Federal Government for paying its members’ promotion arrears of 2015 and 2016.
Mr Monday Otso, the Chairman of the union gave the commendation in an interview with News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Keffi on Friday.
He further commended the FMC Medical Director, Dr Joshua Giyan for ensuring the payment of promotion arrears and other infrastructure developments taking place with direct bearing on patients and staff members’ lives.
The union chairman further urged the members to reciprocate the Federal Government’s gesture by improving on the health status of Nigerians.
“I must be fair Dr Giyan is doing his best in transforming the centre. I commend his efforts because before now in FMC Keffi, we had cases of stagnation and improper placement during promotion.
“Also before now, we have been having strikes because of lack of payment of promotion arrears among other things but as I am speaking to you, 2015 and 2016 promotion arrears have been paid to our members and we don’t have any single promotion arrears.
“The management is not owing the union members anything that has to do with financial benefits, sincerely there is none,” he said.
The union leader assured the management of the centre of the union’s cordial relationship in order to move the centre forward.
According to him, the union will always adopt dialogue as the best option in addressing its demands when the need arises.
He stressed the imperative of reliability, dedication and punctuality among his members, urging them to shun all negative behaviours in the interest of national development.
“In more recent times, a good number of our members who are not conversant with the provisions of the public service rules and scheme of service have gotten themselves entangled with practices that do not conform with the provisions of the law.’’
Otso noted that the tendency earned his colleagues queries, stoppage of salaries and in some instances dismissal from the service, assuring that the union is poised “to create a more enabling environment for our teeming members”.
“So, I am calling on my members to respect the ethics of their work in order to improve on the health of Nigerians, and for the overall development of the health sector,” he added.
The union chairman assured the members of the union of his readiness to continue to give their welfare topmost priority while urging them to continue giving their maximum support for mutual success.
