Governor Emanuel Uduaghan of Delta state is confident that the looming strike by the Nigeria Medical Association (NMA) will not go ahead as planned on January 6.
Uduaghan who fielded questions from State House correspondents shortly after attending a stakeholders meeting in the health sector on Thursday, said the federal government was working hard to avert the strike.
The stakeholders meeting which was also attended by the Ministers of Health, Prof Onyebuchi Chukwu, Labour and Productivity, Emeka Wogu, was presided over by President Goodluck Jonathan at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
According to Delta Governor, the good news is that President Jonathan had consented to some of the demands tabled by the NMA which would now be conveyed to the officials at another meeting slated for Thursday evening.
Uduaghan said the nation cannot afford to witness another strike from a critical sector like health after the recent prolonged ASUU strike was called off.
His words, “There are issues that have been raised by the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) for which they have threatened to strike. They had a warning strike for about five days, so the President called a stakeholders meeting to look at the issues.
“We are going for a meeting now at 5pm with the NMA, at least, there are some things the President has consented to and I believe by the time we finish the meeting this evening, there will be some resolutions.
“Our determination is to ensure that that strike of January 6 is averted. Of course we cannot afford another strike in the medical sector. One minute of strike in the health sector by whatever body can be very disastrous.”
Prompt News Online recalls that NMA called out its members on a five-day warning strike in late December 2013, insisting that the strike would resume on January 6, 2014 should the Federal Government fails to meet its various demands.
