Lokoja — Kogi State Government has reaffirmed its commitment to the wellbeing of the citizens through the provision of qualitative and affordable health care services.
The state Governor, Usman Ododo, stated this in a message to the 8th Quadrennial State Delegate Conference of the Kogi State chapter of Medical and Health Workers Union of Nigeria in Lokoja.
The governor, who was represented at the occasion by the Special Adviser to the Governor on Labour Matters, Onuh Edoka, said his administration is poised to fulfill its promises to the union to achieve set goals in the health sector.
According to him, all the requests of the union are being tackled headlong and will soon yield the needed results.
The governor solicited the continued partnership with the union for a greater Kogi State.
In his address, the state Chairman of MHWUN, Amari Gabriel, urged the government to put machinery in place towards the recruitment of health workers in the state in the face of acute shortage of manpower in the sector.
Amari said the call became imperative in view of the need to fill the manpower gap in the primary health care centres across Kogi State.
He also appealed to the state government to also domesticate the approved five years extension of health workers of service as being endorsed by Council of Establishment.
The state chairman equally charged the government to give accelerated move to the setting up of implementation committee towards the implementation of the new National Minimum wage of N70, 000 to workers.
While commending Governor Ododo for making a landmark achievements in the payment of 100 percent salary to local government workers, prompt payment of workers' salaries as well as implementation of 2015 to 2018 promotion with cash backing, also enumerated success recorded by his leadership to include but not limited to drilling of borehole for the secretariat use, good relationship with sister unions, especially NLC and TUC.
In a message at the occasion, the National President of MHWUN, Doctor Kabiru Ado Sani, represented by Adeka Abdullahi urged the people to remain resolute in the face of the economic challenges occasioned by bad policies of the government, calling for the reversal of the recently hike in pump price of fuel.
Also, in a message for the occasion, the Kogi State Head of Civil Service, Elijah Evinemi, urged the union to sustain its collaboration with all health agencies as well as the need for workers to access their basic health needs under the Kogi State Health Insurance Agency.
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In their separate goodwill messages, the state acting Controller, Labour and Employment, Kogi State Office, Mr. Labija John; state Chairman of the Trade Union Congress (TUC), Ahmed Tijani; Chairperson NLC Women Commission, Habibat Umar Ibrahim; former leaders of the union, Chief Sunday Ayeniko, Ojapa Yusuf, and Owoeye Oladipupo, all commended the leadership style of Amari, and urged him to sustain the tempo if re-elected into office for a second term.
The Union later converged onto a business session where the following were elected for a second term: Amari Gabriel - Chairman; Baba Joel Ocheje-Vice Chairman; Hassan Salami as Auditor; Kasshim Agbonika as Treasurer, Ajisafe Ronke Oluwatoyin as PRO, and Isah Salaudeen as Trustee.
In his acceptance speech, the re-elected Chairman, Amari, promised to justify the confidence reposed in him in his second term in office by carrying every member along in the scheme of things.
