Don’t Lead us into Temptation, Health Workers Warn FG
Health Workers in Nigeria Have Warned the Federal Government not to lead them into temptation in the way they handle the payments of COVID-19 hazard allowances, saying that the consequences of such would be disastrous.
Speaking after his investiture/award by the Ethics Resource Center, on Wednesday, President of Medical and Health Workers’ Union of Nigeria, MHWUN, Josiah Biobelemoye, noted with regret the attitude of the government towards the implementation of the COVID-19 hazard allowances to health workers.
According to him, “Certainly we are service-oriented but the first principle of giving service is that you should be alive, you should be well cared for to be able to give what you are giving.
“We attach so much importance to the very poor masses of Nigeria, that’s why we have been slow. “We entered into an agreement with the Federal Ministry of Health where the Ministry also agreed that there was an error in the implementation of the COVID-19 allowances.
“I want to make an appeal to the Federal Ministry of Health and the Nigerian government, do not lead us into temptation because if you lead us into temptation when we have expressed a very high level of patience, I think those who lead us will not be forgiven by nature, God and the people.
“That correction should be made and every other demand we have made peaceful should be given to us so that they don’t push us into embarking on strike that we know will negatively impact on generality of Nigerians.
“We entered into an agreement in 2015, it was not fulfilled, we have gone into another agreement of COVID-19 hazard allowances, it was not properly implemented.
“The good thing is that the government has realized that yes there was an error. Therefore, the temptation to deny us or to pay the June and refuse to pay that shortfall is enough temptation to even cause the world war.”
On the award given to him, the MHWUN president, commended the organizers of the award, saying: “I pledge that I shall continue to share your ideals of excellence and commitment to my vocation for the rest of the period of my sojourn on earth.”
The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Mohammed Bello appealed to health workers to continue to work for improved service delivery in the system.
Bello, who was represented by Director of Human Resources, Federal Capital Territory Administration, Muhammad Bashir, said that he would prioritize the welfare of health workers in the FCT.