NLC to FG: Prioritise investment in health, education

TRACKING____The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has advised federal and state governments in the country to draw lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic and prioritise investments in the health and education sectors to drive economic development.

President of the NLC, Ayuba Wabba, gave the advice yesterday in Abuja, at the award investiture on the President, Medical and Health Workers Union of Nigeria (MHWUN), Biobelemoye Josiah, by the Ethics Resource Centre Nigeria.

While noting that the pandemic had exposed the challenges of the two sectors to the economy, he however advised workers to upgrade their skills in accordance with modern technology, as it drives the process of development and production everywhere else in the world. He said: “COVID-19 has exposed some challenges in two critical sectors of the economy. These two sectors, education and health, shape development everywhere around the world.

“Therefore we need more investment in health and we need more investment in education. Our people need to be healthy and educated to be productive.” Wabba, who commended the developmental strides of the health workers union from 2011 till date, said it was an honour well deserved as other unions in the committee of unions had acknowledged MHWUN as one of the leading unions in the country. The MHWUN, Biobelemoye Josiah, who urged the minister of health to urgently correct the error made during payment of COVID-19 hazard allowance, warned that health workers were being tempted to down tools at such a critical period.

He stressed that since the ministry had accepted there was an error, the ideal thing would have been to address it without delay so as not to push the workers into an avoidable industrial action.

“We entered into agreement with the Federal Ministry of Health where the Ministry agreed that there was error in the implementation of the COVID- 19 allowances.

People who were earning N5,000 that ought to have been prepared on 50 per cent were given 10 per cent. In our traditional way, we didn’t immediately rush on to strike, we engaged government and they have seen that reason. We are believing and hoping that before they pay the third batch, that correction will be made.

“I want to make a very bright appeal to the Federal Ministry of Health as well as the Nigerian government, do not lead us into temptation, because if you lead us into temptation when we have expressed very high level of patience, you will not be forgiven by nature, God and the people.

“That correction should be made along with every other demand we have made peacefully should be given to us so that they don’t push us into embarking on strike that we know will be negatively impactful on the Nigerians.

“I am not going to close the door on dialogue, but dialogue cannot be inexhaustible.

Dialogue must have a mark where it starts and ends, but where we begin to see that they are igniting our appetite to distrust them, that will be the signal for war.” On the award, Josiah said: “Its beyond expression and it is out of the ordinary.

Especially now that we are at the forefront fighting to protect Nigerians from the savage that is COVID-19.”