An Update of A Joint meeting Between The Aggrieved NANNM members of AEFUTHA & South East Zonal leaders With National Delegates
The meeting was held at cooperative Hall FETHA 2 on 6th November 2020.
This meeting was formally scheduled to hold by 2:30 pm but later shifted back to 1:00 pm due to other circumstances.
In attendance are; The South East Zonal Chairman representing the national NANNM President, National financial sec, The Chairmen and Pay Sec. of Anambra, IMO, Abia, Enugu & Ebonyi state. The HNS AEFUTHA, all Ebobyi state NANNM executives, all AEFUTHA unit executives, representative of Ebonyi state ministry of health, representatives NOFIC, all the stake holder, immediate past state NANNM chairman.
The national coordinator Aggrieved NANNM (Com. Okafor Christian O. JP), all the committee members of Aggrieved NANNM AEFUTHA, and a host of other AEFUTHA nurses.
Introduction
The South East Zonal Chairman representing the National NANNM president, said; this zone is newly created by NANNM, during our inauguration as the south east zonal leaders, we got information that about 423 nurses has exited, from the association due to high cost of COD ( 3% consolidated).
He said, we are here today to discus with you face to face.
He further told us that, 3% consolidated as COD started so that, they can be able to pay all the 37 Pay Sec and retired NANNM leaders, ICN and to run the association.
He also said, that NANNM has achieved a lot, as they have about 9 buildings in Abuja (addresses withheld), today nurses are the highest paid clinical staff after the doctors (he said).
He equally said, if you don’t have NANNM ID card, you can’t travel abroad.
The national coordinator Aggrieved NANNM members ( Comrade Okafor Christian Obina JP.) who spoke on behalf of the Aggrieved NANNM members, Said:
“This meeting is almost coming late, hence over 423 nurses have already exited. I would have not responded to this meeting because I am no longer a NANNM member but because of the respect I have for this profession, I decided to give you this privilege…”
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He told them that this agitation started since March 2018, the first time we were told in this hall that our COD has been changed to 3% consolidated, all nurses in this unit said No. We told our unit executives then to communicate national NANNM that we can’t afford 3% Consolidated; In a short while the new unit executive emerged who told us during their campaign that, they are for 1,000 naira flat rate…We waited since then till this year noting was done.
In August 2020 about 450 nurses in this unit signed a petition through our legal adviser . A letter which was addressed to our unit chairman, requesting to revert the COD to #1000 flat rate or we exit from the association after 14 days… This letter was copied to national NANNM President, State NANNM chairman, HNS AEFUTHA, Director of Finance AEFUTHA and the CMD AEFUTHA.
Comrade Okafor Christian said; “we have had several meetings with the State Executives, National Financial Sec. with his lawyer ( Bar, Alhaji Nwugo)… Which the National Financial sec. confirmed that not all hospitals in Nigeria are paying 3% consolidated as COD.
His lawyer (Alhaji Nwugo) told us that 1,000 naira flat rate is not possible, but if we are not comfortable with 3% consolidated we can exit.
Com. Okafor, told them that what we need now is only 1,000 naira flat rate, if not we will continue the exit from the association till when you the leaders will do the needful.This fight is not to tear Nurses apart but to reform the Nursing profession for the progress of our children (Com. Okafor Christian said).
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Its laughable that nurses are the least paid in the clinical setting, after spending the same years in the university with others. And NANNM is busy sharing our 3% consolidated without doing anything for the profession;
- Nurses are least placed.
- A Nurse will retire NANNM will only offer 100,000 naira after contributing to the association for 35years.
- A colleague will die, NANNM will only give a token, while NMA who are fewer in number gives Two Million Naira.
He challenged the Zonal NANNM chairman, that he has travelled to four different country without any body asking him of NANNM ID. I wonder why you NANNM leaders like telling lies. let me stop here so that others can make their input (Comrade Okafor Christian said). Other stake holders and AEFUTHA Nurses made their input as follow:
- Has national NANNM received the exit letters from Ebonyi state, if yes was it actually rooted ?.
- Why did NANNM review constitution without members consent (communication gap)?
- Why should nurses pay 3% of their consolidated salary as COD, but noting to show for it because all our achievements here are done with our extra pay.
- Why is it that our nurses from school of nursing with single qualification are not employable at Federal Health Institutions, and NANNM is not doing anything about that, but they are busy checking us off 3% consolidated.
- Why not employ one Pay Sec, per zone to reduce cost instead of one per state as you said its one of the reasons why we are being check off 3% consolidated.
The Head of Nursing services AEFUTHA (Princess Chukwu Winifred ), Thanked the South East Zonal leaders and National executives for the joint meeting.
She told them, that 3% consolidated is too much. In her speech: “Give my children what they want so that I will have peace” (HNS said). I have called meeting of the senior nurses in this hospital, not knowing that most of them have already terminated their membership with NANNM.
The Chairmen & Pay secretaries of Abia, IMO, Anambra, Enugu & Ebonyi state who spoke during the meeting , pleading that we should not terminate our membership but to be inside and continue the fight.
They said (Zonal NANNM leaders);
“The agitation is a good one but not to be done outside the association.”
This was immediately replied by the Aggrieved NANNM members that; the agitation is over due, since March 2018, we started this journey, NANNM never care to listen to our cry. Its time we leave this association for you leaders.
The Zonal Chairman representing the National President and National Financial Sec (Comrade Nnachi) concluded that, they can’t be able to answer any of our questions now or attend to our request, because they don’t have answers to all the questions
The Zonal Chairman said; “I have noted all your requests, especially reverting the COD back to 1,000 naira flat rate.”
By Monday or Tuesday I will transmit all your requests to the National NANNM president so that decision can be taken.
Lastly, the Aggrieved NANNM members AEFUTHA maintained that, it’s either NANNM agrees on 1,000 naira flat rate or they terminate their membership till when it will be the exco alone that will remain.
The meeting ended at about 4:30pm with a closing prayer by Comrade Nnaji Jowel.
NOFIC: National Obstetrics Fistula Centre
FUTHA: Federal University Teaching Hospital Abakaliki
AEFUTHA: Alex-Ekwueme Federal University Teaching Hospital Abakaliki
NANNM: National Association Of Nigerian Nurses & Midwives
This report was published on this site with permission from The General Secretary Aggrieved NANNM AEFUTHA, Comrade Egbere Barnabas. We decided & agreed to publish this minute because of; our commitment to good leadership in the Nursing Profession in Nigeria, our dedication to upholding the best standard of Nursing Practice & our resolve to stand by all efforts in the Nursing Profession that is geared towards the growth & development of The Nursing Profession in Nigeria, Africa & The World.
P.S: No part of this report has been tampered with. Editing (very minimal) did no change to original ideas conveyed.
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