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NMA lauds Kogi government for payment of salary arrears

By NAN
30 November 2018   |   3:45 pm
The Nigeria Medical Association (NMA), Kogi chapter, on Friday commended the state for the payment of two and three months’ salary arrears of its workers. Dr. Kabiru Zubair, the NMA Chairman commended the governor for living up to expectations while speaking in Lokoja. According to Zubair, NMA has been monitoring the smooth conduct and progress…

Kogi state

The Nigeria Medical Association (NMA), Kogi chapter, on Friday commended the state for the payment of two and three months’ salary arrears of its workers.

Dr. Kabiru Zubair, the NMA Chairman commended the governor for living up to expectations while speaking in Lokoja.

According to Zubair, NMA has been monitoring the smooth conduct and progress made so far with the payment of salaries based on the ongoing ‘pay parade’ by the state government.

“We can authoritatively confirm that the banks have cleared cheques issued to most of our members, confirming the government’s political will and genuineness of the process.

“We give kudos to Kogi Government for the several bold attempts made to sanitise the State Civil Service since coming into office in January 2016.

“It is no secret that corruption is endemic in the civil service which accounts for the huge wage bill usually incurred by the state government.

“We hope with the successful completion of this exercise, Kogi will have established the true state’s wage bill, and finally put an end to delay in salary payment,” Zubair said.

He also commended the state chapters of the organised labour: the NLC and TUC, led by Mr Onuh Edoka and Ranti Ojo respectively.

The association said that the unions’ active role and doggedness had ensured fidelity in the process as well as made government to be accountable and responsible to the people.

Zubair, however, appealed to the governor to pay the balance of 40 per cent salary arrears from August to December 2017, after it had paid 60 per cent.

“We are also appealing to the state government to clear the salary arrears of January, September, October and November of 2018.

“The 13 new doctors that included a professor in Kogi State University that were employed in 2017 who were yet to receive their salaries since Aug. 2017, should be paid.

“To reverse the ongoing internal brain drain in Kogi Health Sector, more should be done by implementing the corrected CONMESS, skipping, annual step increments, promotion, new minimum wage, Health Insurance Scheme, tax rebate, among others.

“In the last two weeks alone, seven doctors resigned from the Kogi Specialist Hospital, Lokoja. This has further worsened the manpower situation there,” Zubair said.

Zubair said that the NMA was not against government or any of its organs.

He said that their paramount interest remained the welfare of their members and an improvement in the quality of health care delivery in the state.

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