Minister to intervene in alleged non-payment of doctors’ hazard allowances.
The Minister of Education, Prof. Tahir Mamman, has pledged to intervene in the alleged non-payment of hazard allowances of doctors in universities’ health services.
The minister made the pledge in Abuja on Tuesday during a courtesy visit to the ministry by the executive members of the Nigeria Medical Association (NMA), led by its National Chairman, Dr Uche-Rowland Ojinmah.
NMA executive members were at the ministry to congratulate the Minister of State for Education, Dr Tanko Sununu, a member of the association, on his appointment.
They were also at the ministry to draw Sununu’s attention to the Abuja National Executive Council (NEC) meeting scheduled to open on Thursday.
Meanwhile the minister said that he would address the hazard allowance for the doctors in the health services, stressing that the issue was part of the causes of doctors’ migration (Japa syndrome) to other countries.
He said that doctors were making sacrifices, and should not be taken for granted.
“In a bid to have more doctors, we can’t be depopulating again, we will continue to keep eyes on all these problems, in the field of engineering, medical and law, we can’t afford to breach standard.
“It’s good for the profession to have ambassadors in government in the case of Tanko Sununu; I congratulate all the members for this and for your NEC meeting, ” he said.
Sununu, however, called on NMA to work hard to continue to uphold the ethics of the profession in its daily activities, saying there were, however, people tarnishing the image of medical profession.
He said there was a case recently where somebody operated a baby factory and claimed that he got approval within the medical profession.
Sununu said that NMA must work hard to bring to book those tarnishing the image of the profession, adding that for him, he would continue to work hard for the best of the country.
“NMA has done much for me, giving me the state chairmanship seat without election; the first thing I fought is corruption in the NMA, we made a lot of savings close to N8 milliion then.
” NMA was part of those who helped me to make my way to the House of Representatives; I will try to do my best as a minister of state for education.
“I am indebted to NMA, I remain grateful to NMA; there is nothing I will pay that will be commensurate with what you have done; I want to assure you of our support at the ministry.
NMA’s executive arm had earlier paid a similar visit to Dr Ibrahim Kana, Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Defence, to congratulate and intimate him about the activities of NMA in the upcoming days.
