The National Association of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives (NANNM) says its industrial action is still ongoing.
The Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Professor Ali Pate, had announced that the association has called off its warning strike.
Speaking with journalists after a closed-door meeting in Abuja on Friday, Pate said the decision followed agreements reached between the government and the association’s leadership.
But when contacted, the association’s National Chairman, Morakinyo Rilwan, said it wasn’t true the strike had been called off.
“If it was the Minister who organized the strike, then he could call it off. As far as I’m concerned, the strike organized by the association is still ongoing. The Minister didn’t organize the strike, so he doesn’t have the authority to call it off.
“There are procedures to follow, if it is to be called off at all,” Rilwan told Daily Trust via telephone.
The union has scheduled a general congress for Saturday, where members are expected to deliberate on the outcome of the meeting with government and determine the next course of action.
On Wednesday, the nurses began a seven-day nationwide warning strike. The strike, according to NANNM’s leadership, addresses issues including poor remuneration, staff shortages, unpaid allowances, and unsafe working conditions.
This strike comes amid an existing face-off between doctors and the government over welfare and other issues, as reported by Daily Trust. The nurses’ strike, which followed the expiration of a 15-day ultimatum issued by NANNM to the federal government, has disrupted healthcare services across Nigeria.
