ENUGU — Health professionals and workers in Enugu State under the auspices of Joint Health Sector Unions, JOHESU, during a visit to the Government House Enugu on Tuesday, received a long-awaited approval of increment in salary to match their contemporaries in other states of the federation;
The Joint Health Sector Unions comprise members of the National Association of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives, NANNM, Nigeria Union of Allied Health Professionals, NUAHP, and Medical and Health Workers Sector Union of Nigeria, MHWUN, at the Government House, Enugu.
In his address, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, Governor of Enugu State made the announcement of an upward increase of the health workers’ Consolidated Health Salary Structure, CONHESS, from 41 percent to 60 percent, effective from September 2021;
The struggle for an increment of salary of health workers in Enugu state dates as far back as 2010. After years of agitations, as of May 2021, this present administration had approved up to 41percent increase and now from 41 percent to 60 percent, effective from September 2021.
“CONHESS is a dream that has eluded us for the past 11 years but made real by you (Ugwuanyi) in the month of May 2021”; “To assuage the situation, our Governor Ugwuanyi approved 10 percent CONHESS in 2018 and an additional 31 percent increase in 2021 bringing the total increment to 41 percent,” the State Chairman of JOHESU, Comrade Ezekiel Omeh disclosed.
“Your Excellency, we are happy that today, you have placed us at par with our peers and contemporaries in the health industry who have been enjoying the CONHESS which is the appropriate Salary Scale operational in the Country since 2010.
“You gave us COVID-19 allowance that lasted for upward of one year when other states, including Federal Government, had withdrawn the payment”.
“We also appreciate your aggressive investment in the health sector in Enugu State; the transformation of Poly Clinic Asata to General Hospital, Uwani Health Centre to a General Hospital, renovation and reconstruction of Udi General Hospital, Awgu General Hospital and School of Midwifery, Awgu, reconstruction and renovation of Nsukka General Hospital, Enugu-Ezike General Hospital, the phenomenal progress in construction of permanent site of ESUT Teaching Hospital at Igbo-Eno and building of new General Hospitals in different Local Governments in the state that are ready for commissioning”
“These and other people-oriented projects are simultaneously going on in the state, all for the betterment of the health and welfare of the citizens despite the escalating harsh economic conditions and social unrest in the country.
“You have demonstrated how democratic government can be run with the full participation of the citizenry, including workers. Hence our ability to get CONHESS approved and implemented Minimum Wage and its adjustment, COVID-19 allowance, 13th Month Salary all through dialogue and your show of understanding, transparency, and prioritization of the welfare of workers and citizens.
“We appreciate your responsiveness to the yearnings of the people especially workers. Your disposition to govern Enugu State with the fear of God and Rule of Law has turned the state to be the most relatively peaceful state in the country and South East in particular,” he concluded.
In their remarks, the State Chairman of Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, and Trade Union Congress of Nigeria, TUC, Comrade Virginus Nwobodo, and Comrade Benneth Asogwa respectively appreciated the efforts of the state government in the welfare of her members especially the recent increase in salary.
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