Kogi Govt., NMA Will Resolve Dispute Amicably – official

The Kogi Government said on Sunday that it would resolve its lingering dispute with striking medical doctors amicably.

“The government is not at war with the doctors. We merely have a little disagreement and we are working toward resolving the issue amicably,” Mr Kingsley Fanwo, Director-General, Media and Strategy,  in Lokoja.

He said that government would explore peaceful means toward addressing the issues so as to ensure effective service delivery in the health sector.

“Government has already declared its stance in a statement by the Head of Service, Mrs Kehinde Lawal; we have urged the doctors to have a humanitarian heart. Healthcare issues are about life, the government will never trivialise them,” he said.

He advised doctors to choose the path of negotiations and always have the patients in mind in all their actions.

The aide said that government was prepared to listen to all grievances and give truthful positions, alleging that most critics were hiding behind the transparent curtains of political interests to subvert public interest.

“Doctors are trained to save lives. They have been very cooperative and we want them to keep cooperating with the government. We know they will not be happy to watch the sick die on account of pursuing an interest that could be resolved amicably.

“We are appealing to doctors to go back to work and give the government the benefit of the doubt,” Fanwo said.he doctors have been on strike over the non-payment of their salaries, with the government threatening to sack any doctor absent from work on Monday, May 8.

The doctors have been on strike over the non-payment of their salaries, with the government threatening to sack any doctor absent from work on Monday, May 8.

The state chapter of the NMA has, however, directed its members to disregard the threat, and vowed to stay off the hospitals until the demands were met.

NMA, in a statement by its Chairman, Dr Tijani Godwin, declared on Saturday that it would not be intimidated by the threats, and advised the government to “do the needful.