Kaduna State government has announced the sack of all nurses below Grade Level 14 for going on an ‘unlawful strike’, noting salaries that could have gone to them are to be given as extraordinary occupational allowances to the health workers who are at their duty posts to fill the gap of those absconding from duty.
In the same vein, the government directed the Ministry of Health to advertise vacancies for the immediate recruitment of new nurses to replace those dismissed.
These developments came on the heels of a major protest declared and embarked upon by leaders of the Nigerian Labor Congress (NLC) over the minimum wage and rightsizing policy of the state government.
In a statement by Muyiwa Adekeye, Special Adviser to the Governor (Media & Communication), the President of the NLC, Comrade Ayuba Wabba and his senior confederates were declared wanted.
“Ayuba Wabba and his senior confederates in the NLC are declared wanted, and will be vigorously prosecuted for violations of the Penal Code of Kaduna State, the Miscellaneous Offences and the Trade Dispute (Essential Services) Acts. They are advised to report to the Ministry of Justice and the Police Headquarters to take their statements.”
Describing the actions of the Labour chiefs as a campaign of economic and social sabotage and lawlessness, the government said it would not submit its treasury to the entitled minority.
It added: “We will reform and rightsize our public service to meet the needs and resources of the Kaduna State even if the NLC strikes ad infinitum. The government remains committed to using all the resources it can generate to serve the interests of the majority of its citizens, providing social services beyond paying salaries, always putting the interests of the many ahead of the few.”
