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FCT nurses, primary school teachers, and Area Council workers in the Federal Capital Territory have staged a protest at the FCTA Secretariat over the continued closure of Primary Healthcare Centres (PHCs), demanding the prompt implementation of a N70,000 minimum wage.
The workers, united under the umbrella of the Joint Unions comprising the Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE), the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), and the FCT chapter of the National Association of Nigerian Nurses and Midwives (NANNM), staged the protest in solidarity.
James Medan, Chairman of NANNM-FCT, while addressing journalists on Thursday in Abuja, expressed deep concern over the worsening health situation, highlighting that Nigeria ranks second globally in maternal and child mortality rates.
Medan stated that the unions decided to embark on the protest to draw public attention to their plight, particularly over the alleged shutdown of Primary Healthcare Centres (PHCs) across the six Area Councils of the Federal Capital Territory.
Their demands include the immediate reopening of all Primary Healthcare Centres (PHCs), implementation of the proposed N70,000 minimum wage, and payment of outstanding arrears and allowances.
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The protest was a response to the worsening health crisis triggered by the prolonged closure of over 270 PHCs across the six Area Councils of the FCT.
Medan warned that the continued closure of Primary Healthcare Centres (PHCs) could further deepen the ongoing health crisis.
“We have fewer than 130 nurses and midwives currently managing these facilities. Women and children are dying because the centres have remained shut for over a month,” he said, highlighting a severe shortage of healthcare personnel and the lack of government action to address the issue.
He alleged that despite the release of over N4.1 billion by the FCT Minister to resolve the crisis, the Area Council Chairmen had failed to pay workers their entitlements. These include hazard and uniform allowances owed to nurses and other health professionals.
Medan also raised concerns about the disruption of a scheduled nationwide polio vaccination campaign in the FCT, warning that the shutdown of health centres could expose the territory to new outbreaks of the disease.
In solidarity, Abdullahi Shafa, FCT Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), decried the continued non-payment of the new minimum wage to primary school teachers, who have been on strike for over a month.
He appealed to the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, to urgently intervene to prevent the complete collapse of the education system in the area councils.
The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) also issued a warning, threatening to join the protest if the Minister fails to act on the workers’ demands within a week.
Hayyo Danlami, Mandate Secretary of the FCT Education Secretariat, who addressed the protesters on behalf of the Minister, assured the protesters that their letter would be delivered to the Minister. He also promised that their concerns would be given due attention and addressed accordingly.
