FG approves additional N8.9bn for June COVID-19 hazard allowance

The Federal Government has approved additional N8.9 billion to pay up
the large chunk of the June 2020 COVID-19 allowance to all Medical
Health Workers in the country.

Sen Chris Ngige, Minister of Labour and Employment disclosed this
during the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) at the end
of the meeting between the Federal Government and the Nigeria
Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) on Wednesday in Abuja.

It would be recalled that NARD had embarked on a total and an
indefinite strike in all Federal and State hospitals in the country to
press for its demands.

NARD demands include payment of the Medical Residency Training funding
to all members as approved in the revised 2020 Budget, provision of
genuine Group Life Insurance and Death in Service Benefits for all
health workers.

Others are payment of outstanding April/May and June COVID-19
inducement allowance, determination of revised hazard allowance for
all health workers as agreed in previous meetings with relevant
stakeholders, immediate payment of salary shortfall of 2014, 2015 and
2016, among others.

Ngige said that implementation of the payment of the Special Hazard
and Inducement Allowance has been concluded.

According to him, the meeting was satisfied that the N20 billion
already appropriated in 2020 COVID-19 budget has been exhausted.

He said the meeting, therefore, commended the Federal Government and
Mr President for approving additional N8.9bn to pay up the large chunk
of the June 2020 COVID-19 allowance to all Medical Health Workers.

He added that this has been cash-backed and the mandate sent to the
Central Bank of Nigeria for payments to start with effect from Sept.
9.

According to him, this will bring the total disbursement to about N288 billion.

Ngige noted that discussion for review of a Permanent Hazard Allowance
for Health Workers would commence as soon as possible after
consultation by the Minister of Labour and Employment with all
stakeholders in the health sector.

He noted that based on the principles of ability to pay, this would
cover all health workers in a new Collective Bargaining Agreement
(CBA) and that the meeting would be convened as soon as possible in
that regards.

The minister also said that on the Provision of Personal Protective
Equipment (PPE), NARD had agreed that the Hospitals and Isolation
Centres, have sufficient PPE.

He also said that on the provision of Group Life Insurance for Doctors
and other Health Care Workers and payment of death-in-service benefit
to next of kin/beneficiaries, that the government had paid the total
sum of N9.3 billion (Nine billion, Three Hundred Million Naira) to
Insurance Companies for Life Group Insurance and payment of death
benefits for Health Workers.

Ngige also said that the enrollment for the Group Life Insurance would
be by the submission of nominal rolls by the various Health
Institutions, which NARD had been mandated at the previous meeting to
accomplish.

He said the meeting also decided that NARD should submit copies of
claims already made to the Insurance Companies through the hospitals
to the Ministry of Health for onward transmission to the Office of the
Head of the Civil Service of the Federation that would ensure that the
Insurance Companies pay the claims.

He added that the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment should
also be copied in that regards.

Ngige, however, said that on the issue of the Universal implementation
of the Medical Residency Training Act in all Federal and State
Hospitals, that the 2020 Appropriation Act was revised due to COVID-19
pandemic.

He noted that the N4 billion appropriated for Residency Training under
a wrong heading for Medical Residency Training was to be vired before
expenditure.

He added that the process of amendment is therefore ongoing and is
expected that this process and cash backing would be through in two
weeks.

According to Ngige, on the payment of outstanding 2014, 2015, and 2016
arrears, the meeting recalled that it had been agreed that the issue
will be further discussed post-COVID-19 and therefore, no agreement
was breached.

He also noted that on the issue of Consequential Adjustment of the
National Minimum Wage that government would pay allowed arrears to
members of the association and would also implement such in States
Tertiary Health Institutions.

“It was noted that those affected were the Youth Corps Members and
House Officers, who are regarded as ad hoc staff and for State
Hospitals, the Federal Government can only be persuasive.

“It was recalled that NARD had been assigned the responsibility to
submit a list from the defaulting hospitals to the Federal Ministry of
Health for onward transmission to the Federal Ministry of Finance,
Budget and National Planning,” he said.

The minister further said that on the issue of domestication of the
Residency Training Act by State Government, it agrees to recognise the
autonomy of states within the Federation.

He added that the meeting agreed that the issue would be tabled at the
National Economic Council and National Council of Health to persuade
the states to domesticate the Act.

He also noted that on the issue Health Workers in the Medical Centres
attached to Universities that the meeting agreed that workers had been
tied with the ongoing strike by Academic Staff Union of Universities
(ASUU) and negotiations concerning them would be on a different
platform involving Federal Ministry of Education.

“In view of these Understandings, NARD will consult with her Executive
Council within the next 24hours with a view to calling off the strike
by September 10, 2020.

“Nobody will be victimized for any activity connected with or for
participating in the industrial action,” Ngige said.

Dr Sokomba Aliyu, NARD National President said that the meeting was
successful as a lot of pledges and agreements were reached with the
timeline.

“Following the outcome of this meeting, we are hoping that all of that
will address the concerns of our members, so we shall be convoking a
meeting immediately with our members on the way forward,” he said.

It was reported that government agencies present at the meeting were
representatives from the Ministry of Health, Finance, Budget and
National Planning and National Salaries, Income and Wages Commission.