Eid Mubarak: Kogi doctors condemn payment of half salaries, say its discriminatory

Kogi state governor Yahaya Bello

Kogi  state chapter of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) has also expressed surprise and dissaproval over the half salary arrangement.

In a statement signed by its Chairman, Dr. Godwin Tijani and made available to newsmen, on Thursday, the association said it was not called to any meeting between the state government and labour leaders where it was agreed that workers in the state will collect half salary.

Dr. Tijani said, “We only heard the news in the media this morning and now, many of our members have gotten alert from banks confirming payment of 50 percent of their salaries. Kogi doctors are not happy with that decision.

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The NMA chairman also said that they expected a prior notice of the development, adding that its discriminatory to pay some group of workers full salary , while paying other half salaries.

“As a noble and an understanding association, we expected the state government to notify us of and not take us by surprise. I learnt those working in tertiary institutions are being paid full salary while those in the ministry and Hospital Management Board will also receive half salary. We express our displeasure with that kind of discrimination.”

The NMA, however, enjoined to doctors in the state  to stay calm, appealling that they “go about their normal activities” as efforts are  being made to remedy the anomaly.

Meanwhile, a coalition of  Labour unions have rejected the payment of half salaries by the Kogi government.