Date Published: 11/08/10

Lagos Pleads with Striking Doctors to Return to Work

The Lagos State chapter of the Action Congress of Nigeria has, once again, appealed to striking Lagos doctors to return to duty and allow the state government to address their demands. The party said that the persisting strike is leaving rooms for hardening of positions, which is proving detrimental to both parties as the strike lingers.

In a release in Lagos, signed by the party’s Lagos State Publicity Secretary, Joe Igbokwe, Lagos ACN said that with political meanings now being read into the strike, the striking doctors must realize that they are in service for the people and call off this strike in the interests of the people. It assures the workers that the present regime in the state is people-friendly and will always pander to the interests of the generality of Lagosians.

“We are getting worried that our persistent pleas to the striking doctors and those of other well meaning Nigerians and indeed the Lagos State government have gone unheeded by the doctors. We are more surprised that the government has offered to deal with the problems the doctors went on strike for but the doctors have remained persistent while the lives of Lagosians have been compromised in the striking period. We are also aware that many Lagosians are now reading political meanings to the lingering strike, which is an area Lagos ACN would not be interested in as the government has been enjoying a cordial mutual relationship with the Lagos doctors.

“What however surprises us is that the striking doctors have remained unbending and are not yielding to the plea that they adopt less rigid means of going about their interests. We are shocked that the doctors have not even shifted grounds a bit, even as the government has expressed readiness to tackle their demands on the resumption of work by the striking doctors. We are not happy that the striking doctors have carried on as if the lives of Lagosians are secondary to their interests and have remained intransigent to the persistent appeals of Lagosians.

“Lagos ACN notes that the state government has referred the striking doctors to the Lagos State Committee for the Development of Pay Policy, Review and Salary Determination in the state public service but the doctors refused to negotiate with the committee, insisting that the governor must approve a wage increase for them when that detracts from the established norms of the state civil service.

“Once again, we call on the striking Lagos doctors to return to work and allow for meaningful negotiation under a favorable atmosphere of peace and harmony. We believe they would be doing their profession a great favour and will eventually succeed with their demand while reducing the aftermaths of the lingering strike. We urge for the return of reason, as this will pay all parties in the present impasse.”