JOHESU summons emergency meeting over court order

Following an order of interim injunction compelling the Joint Health Sector Unions (JOHESU) to immediately resume duties and ostensibly considering the intervention of Senate President Bukola Saraki, the union has summoned an emergency consultation meeting of all state and zonal leaders tomorrow for tomorrow, May 27 and Monday, May 28 to deliberate on the next steps in its ongoing strike action. 

JOHESU had on May 21 filed a court processes at the National Industrial Court (NIC) and the Court of Appeal, challenging the locus standi of the non-governmental organisation (NGO) that brought the matter before the NIC and the jurisdiction of the court to entertain the suite.  

JOHESU again called on the federal government to honour and implement the agreement it freely entered into with it on the September 30, last year for a permanent resolution of the impasse to restore normalcy and end the suffering of innocent Nigerians.

Briefing journalists on behalf of the leadership of JOHESU and Assembly of Healthcare professional Associations (AHPA), National President of the Association of Medical Laboratory Scientists of Nigeria (AMLSN), Dr. Godswill Okara, said a court order was served on JOHESU yesterday (Friday, May 25) at 5.39pm, adding that the union has great respect and regard for the judiciary.  

He said: “Following the calculated attempt to demonise JOHESU through sustained misinformation and falsehood by the Federal Ministry of Health and the Kingdom Human Rights Foundation International, an NGO that is neither our employer nor a party to the agreement JOHESU signed with government, JOHESU had before the receipt of this court order, filed court processes in the National Industrial Court and the Court of Appeal on May 21, challenging the locus standi of the NGO and the jurisdiction of the court to entertain the suite.  
 
Okara stated that the NGO has constituted itself into a meddlesome interloper.He said: “We have noted with dismay the persistent attempt by the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) to misinform the public through malicious fabrication of accusation and blatant lies, that JOHESU members had locked up theatres, consulting rooms and wards.  It beats imagination that the NMA will go to any ridiculous length in giving bad names to a dog in order to hang it.  Nothing could be farther from the truth.”  

According to him: “The NMA wants the public to believe that hospital authorities lack the power to keep the gates and doors of our health facilities open.  Our members have conducted themselves with the highest degree of restraint and discipline in the face of provocation and double-dealing by the Federal Ministry of Health.”Okara commended the leadership of the senate for their recent intervention aimed at a fully amicable resolution to the crisis.“We also commend all men and women of good conscience who have lent their voices of reason to our struggle for justice, fairness and equity in the health sector,” he added.