Medical, Dental Academics Give FG 21-day Ultimatum Over Welfare, Threaten Nationwide Strike

The Nigerian Association of Medical and Dental Academics (NAMDA) has issued a 21-day ultimatum to the federal government to conclude negotiations on the welfare and conditions of service of its members, warning that failure to do so could result in an industrial action.

The ultimatum was contained in a communiqué issued at the end of the association’s National Executive Council (NEC) meeting on Monday, where the members reviewed the progress of ongoing negotiations with the federal government over the renegotiation of the 2009 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA).

According to the communiqué signed by NAMDA president, Dr Nosa Lancy Orhue, and acting secretary-general, Prof. Aniekan Peter, the association expressed disappointment that negotiations with the federal government had remained stalled since April 9, despite repeated efforts by the union to engage the government.

The association alleged that while the federal government had concluded agreements with other university-based unions, negotiations with NAMDA had been deliberately delayed, creating agitation among medical and dental academics across Nigerian universities.

NAMDA said the prolonged delay had denied its members academic and professorial allowances, including Earned Academic Allowances and Excess Workload Allowances, worsening low morale and increasing the risk of brain drain among medical lecturers.

The union warned that inadequate welfare for medical academics could undermine the government’s efforts to increase the number of medical and dental graduates, as poor remuneration discourages professionals responsible for training future healthcare workers.

NEC reaffirmed that the Consolidated Medical Salary Structure (CONMESS) should remain the salary platform for medical and dental academics in line with the 1990 Federal Executive Council approval, insisting that any attempt to migrate members to the Consolidated University Academic Salary Structure (CONUASS) would not be accepted.

It also condemned what it described as the forceful migration of members above 65 years from CONMESS to CONUASS, saying the practice amounts to demotion, loss of earnings, reduced pension benefits and, in some cases, forced retirement contrary to the Universities Miscellaneous Act.

The association further demanded the immediate implementation of special pension benefits for retired hospital-based academics, urging the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment and the Federal Ministry of Health to facilitate communication with the National Pension Commission to enable payment.

NAMDA also rejected the continued exclusion of the association from the Implementation Monitoring Committee of the Presidential NEEDS Assessment Intervention and opposed the National Universities Commission’s insistence on PhD qualifications for medical academics.

Instead, the union maintained that fellowship qualifications already provide the required competence for research, teaching and postgraduate medical education. It also called on the National Medical College of Nigeria to commence the award of PhD degrees as empowered by law and begin fellowship programmes in medical physiology, medical biochemistry, human anatomy and pharmacology.

As part of its resolutions, NEC directed all branches nationwide to convene congresses to brief members on the outcome of the meeting and organise press conferences within one week to communicate its demands to university managements.

While reaffirming its commitment to dialogue, NAMDA warned that continued neglect of the legitimate demands of medical and dental academics would leave the association with no option but to deploy all lawful trade union mechanisms to protect the rights and welfare of its members.

The association called on the Federal Government to urgently conclude negotiations in the interest of industrial harmony, uninterrupted medical education and the strengthening of Nigeria’s healthcare system.

Despite its grievances, NAMDA acknowledged the federal government’s efforts to improve university education and the welfare of other university unions. It also commended the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, for his efforts to resolve longstanding labour issues and for supporting the implementation of CONMESS for medical and dental academics.