The Nigerian Association of Medical and Dental Academics (NAMDA) has told the federal government to fix salary and welfare problems in 21 days or face a nationwide strike.
NAMDA’s President, Nosa Orhue, made this statement on Tuesday in Abuja after a meeting with the union’s National Executive Council (NEC).
Mr Orhue said the government has to finish negotiations in the next 21 days. He warned that the union would meet again after the deadline to decide what to do next if there is no real progress.
He mentioned that the association has been in talks with the government for over 24 months without any real results.
Mr Orhue expressed dissatisfaction that discussions on the 2009 agreement renegotiation have been stuck since 9 April, despite many meetings.
He accused the government of giving better welfare packages to other university unions while NAMDA members are left out. This has led to unpaid academic and professorial allowances and more medical academics leaving the country.
The NAMDA president said the problem is mainly due to pay differences between university-based medical lecturers and hospital consultants doing the same jobs.
He explained that medical academics handle teaching, research, and clinical work, which includes patient care and surgeries.
Despite having the same qualifications and licenses, they earn less than their colleagues in hospitals.
Mr Orhue reminded everyone that the federal government had recognized medical academics' unique position by placing them on the Consolidated Medical Salary Structure (CONMESS). He noted that the Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, supports equal pay and has communicated this to the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission.
But he claimed that some government agencies are blocking the agreement's implementation.
Mr Orhue insisted that CONMESS is the only salary structure that should apply to medical and dental academics.
He warned that trying to replace it with another structure could lead to a strike.
He also rejected the forced move of members over 65 years from CONMESS to the Consolidated University Academic Salary Structure (CONUASS).
He stated that this move is a demotion and will financially harm the affected academics.
The association is also asking for special pension benefits for retired hospital-based academics and opposes the National Universities Commission’s rule that medical academics must have a PhD.
Despite these issues, Mr Orhue praised President Bola Tinubu’s administration for its efforts to improve university education. He also thanked the Minister of Education for backing equal pay for medical academics.
He appreciated the federal government’s readiness for a possible Ebola outbreak and promised the association's support to strengthen Nigeria’s public health response.
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