Sokoto: Doctors, ASUU sets to embark on strike

Posted by admin Sokoto, State News Thursday, September 22nd, 2011

Against the affirmation by Sokoto State Government that it had concluded plans to implement the new salary structure for Medical personnel in its workforce, the state chapter of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), had issued a 72-hour strike notice to the state government.

This came barely 24 hours; members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) of the Usmanu Danfodio University Sokoto (UDUS), resolved to embark on a one week warning strike to press home their demands from the Federal Government.

In a letter to the Governor dated September 16, 2011 and signed by the Chairman and Secretary of the Medical Association, Dr. Anas Ahmad Sabir and Dr. AbdulGafar Jimoh, respectively, it said, that having run out of patience, its members have resolved to go on strike within 72 hours from date.
The decision, the letter stated was reached at the congress of the association following the non implementation of the outcome of the 94.5 per cent CONMESS agreement reached with the state government, even after the extended 21-day ultimatum earlier issued.

“Failure to implement this within the next 72 hours working days will lead to an indefinite strike action by the association,” clarifying the statement, “the strike action will commence today, September 22, 2011 by doctors in the State Civil Service and will be joined by doctors in the Federal Civil Service after two weeks,” the letter further stated.

In a related development, a statement jointly signed by the ASUU Chairman and Secretary, Dr. Lawali Abubakar and Malam Mika’ilu Ibrahim respectively at a press conference held yesterday in Sokoto stated that the union has resolved to embark on a one week warning strike starting from September 25, 2011 as a step to draw government’s attention to the non implementation of their agreement term.

“Two weeks after the warning strike, the union will reconvene to review the situation and take further action. We equally called on the government to behave responsibly by implementing the agreement it had signed freely. We also call on all well meaning Nigerians to join us in this appeal to government in order to safe our educational system from its journey towards the path of collapse” it stated.

Parts of the issues agitating for according to the union include the need to pass into law the 70 years retirement age for academics in professorial cadre; payment of earned allowance, funding and upward review of budgetary allocation to the education sector.

-Sunwp_posts