ON JOHESU STRIKE: IS NIGERIA A UNITARY STATE?
ON JOHESU STRIKE: IS NIGERIA A UNITARY STATE?
By:
Nurudeen Dauda
May 23, 2018
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To begin with, JOHESU means Joint Health Sector Union.JOHESU draws its membership from the National Association of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives (NANNM), Medical and Health Workers Union(MHWUN), and Senior Staff Association of University Teaching Hospitals, Research Institutes and Associated Institutions, Nigeria Union of Allied Health Professionals and Non-academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutes.
In my view, I have no problem whatsoever with "employees" demanding for their "legitimate rights" from their employers . Employees have the right to demand for better working condition and welfare from their employers . In my humble opinion, employers whether in the public or private sector should and or must be responsible and reasonable enough to their employees .
However, my major concern as a student of "Comparative Politics" is that, why should a "strike" of Federal Health workers or Universities lecturers as the case maybe affects state and or local governments workers in a Federal state ? Is this not an aberration to the practice of federal system of government? Please come with me!
Nigeria as it were, is said to be theoretically practicing Federal system of government , but in my observation, the country is more of a Unitary state in practice than a Federal state. The idea of uniformity in administration is a practice of Unitary system of government not Federal .
A Federal constitution is mostly adopted by a country with Multi ethnic, Religious and Socio- economics difference among its people in order to cater for their peculiarities . More so, a Federal state gives its component "regions" or "states" the powers to determine or decide issues based on their local peculiarities.
On the other hand, a homogeneous country finds it easier to practice Unitary constitution which emphasizes on uniformity.
Why should a Federal state has a National instead of states Minimum Wage ? Why should the strike of Federal Universities affect states Universities in a Federal state? Why should the strike of Federal Health workers affect states Health workers in a Federal state? Why should the majority suffer for the failure of few? Why should the entire Health sector of the country suffer because of the issue of JOHESU? Why should states and local Health institutions be affected?
On the issue of National Minimum Wage, for instance, how can Lagos state which is now an oil producing state, with about 60% of total Internally Generated Revenue ,IGR; generated by the 36 states of the federation and the second most populous state in the country as far the 2006 Census which makes it attracts huge revenue allocation be compared with Zamfara state which is one of the states with the lowest IGR in the country, and not being an oil producing state with a relative lower population which makes it attracts lower revenue allocation?
On the issue of JOHESU's demands which include: (1) An upward adjustment of CONHESS Salary Scale, (2) Arrears of skipping of CONHESS 10, (3) Employment of additional health professionals and (4) An upward review of retirement age from 60 to 65 years etc. It is important to note that, the Nigerian Medical Association, NMA, in an apparent continuation of rivalry among health workers in the country described JOHESU as an “illegal body” and urged the government to ignore its demands .
The members of NMA who are doctors opposed the issue of salary adjustment and harmonisation which is one of the major demands of the striking health workers under JOHESU. The doctors have threatened to withdraw their services across health institutions in the country if the federal government accedes to the demands of other health workers who have been on strike.
NMA argued that, it has reached an agreement with the government in 2014 under the principle of collective bargaining not to accede to demands of other health workers relating to salary adjustments and harmonisation.
It is high time we decentralized unionism in Nigeria if we are truly a Federal state and or ,In my suggestion , it is high time we decide which system of government is suitable for our country.
May God bless Nigeria!