...Accuse Anambra State Government Of Pranks With Truth
By Chuks Collins
Industrial tension may have reached breaking point within the Anambra State and her Local Government Areas health sector.
The ugly situation as painted by the Anambra State Organized Health Sector Unions including the National Association of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives (NANNM), Medical and Health Workers Union of Nigeria (MHWUN) and the Nigerian Union of Allied Health Professionals (NUAP) came up due to the non implementation and unanswered demands long approved for the members and were already being enjoyed by colleagues elsewhere.
The health sector professionals that include Nurses, Laboratory scientists, Pharmacists, and other Allied professionals working in Anambra State and the Local Government owned hospitals in a press briefing in Awka accused the State government of playing pranks with the long overdue Federal Government approved emoluments.
The workers in a letter dated August 19, 2025 to Gov Chukwuma Soludo where they appraised and reminded him of their plight, lamented that their cries have been clearly muffled, ignored and clearly neglected.
That the governments’ indifference, they suspected could have been as a result of wrong, false, misleading and or deceptive presentation of the true picture of things to the governor by aides.
That the unfortunate misleading picture of stability in the sector being presented to the Governor was far removed from the reality on ground.
In the letter signed by chairmen of these allied unions including Onwuka Edith (NANNM); Nwoye Charles(NUAUP ); Dr Mbaneme Franklin (MHWUN); Dr Ikedi Onah (Secretary, NANNM); Afam Udeozo (Secretary, NUAUP); and Mathew Ugwu (Secretary, MHWUN) alleged that “healthcare professionals in Anambra State live in penury, neglected by the same State government and her Council Areas who were expected to protect and empower them.”
That it was indeed sad that their colleagues in other states of the federation, even those within the geopolitical area enjoy better remuneration/conditions of service already approved by the Federal Government.
Consequently, the intense frustration, has presently left them no other choice but to down tools from tomorrow, 4th September 2025 on a comprehensive industrial action.
They regretted at the media briefing that the action would inevitably affect all state and local government owned hospitals but it was an avoidable choice of the state government.
When asked for a way out, they gave a firm response, “unless our demands are met, a total strike will inevitably commence across the state.”
They insist that when this action begins, it will not be the workers alone who suffer the consequences but ordinary citizens, fathers, mothers, children, who depend on the health system daily.
