ABUJA — Members of the Nigerian Medical Association and its affiliates such as the Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors and the Medical and Dental Consultants Association of Nigeria have accused the Federal Government of failing to implement the new hazard allowance scale.
The National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission had on December 22, 2021 issued a circular conveying the approval of the Federal Government to increase the hazard allowance for doctors and other health workers in the country from N5,000 to as high as N40,000, depending on the category of worker.
But the doctors stated that close to two months after the approval, the government had yet to commence the implementation.
Speaking in an interview, the national President, MDCAN, Dr Victor Makanjuola, said, “The implementation has not started. The MDCAN hopes to discuss this and other remuneration issues with the Minister of Labour, Chris Ngige, who brokered the talks about the hazard allowance and other matters.
“We had information that he (Ngige) was away during the past week. We hope to engage him on it this coming week when he comes back.”
The Chairman, Federal Capital Territory, NMA, Dr Enema Amodu, said, “We observed the lack of commencement of the payment of the hazard allowance to doctors and other health workers. All health personnel are exposed to the hazards of the profession wherever they are practicing and deserve to be paid accordingly.”
On his part, the National President, NARD, Godiya Ishaya, said, “It is correct information that they have not started paying. NARD had earlier rejected the hazard allowance rate in our letter dated December 24, 2021, because it was a unilateral position of the government, which does not conform to the principles and spirit of true collective bargaining and agreement.”
Efforts to reach the minister over the development proved abortive as he did not take his calls and had yet to reply to messages sent to his mobile telephone as of the time of filing this report.
