Lagos State Governor Sanwo-Olu Prevents Nurses/Midwife Warning Strike, Resolves Crisis

By Kayode Shopekan

Governor of Lagos State, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has intervened and prevented the Lagos branch of Nigerian Association of Nurses and Midwives (NANNM), from embarking on a three-day warning strike.

Sanwo-Olu, on Sunday evening, had a closed-door meeting with members of the National Association of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives (NANNM), at the State House, Marina.

The Association had announced that it would embark on a three-day warning strike from January 10, over unmet demands by the Lagos state Government.

Speaking at the end of deliberations, Chairman, Lagos State Council of Nigerian Association of Nurses and Midwives, Comrade Olurotimi Awojide thanked the Governor for acceding to most of their requests.

Awojide, described the governor as a true leader and father who cares about his children.

He promised to call an emergency congress of the association on Monday, where the union will announce her decision to call off the planned industrial action.

Recall that the Chairman NANNM, had on Friday decried the inconducive working condition of nurses in the state which has led to massive brain drain.

Nurses on a peaceful demonstration

According to Awojide, ”More than 496 out of 2,350 nurses employed by Lagos State Health Service Commission left between 2019 and 2021 and with less than 15 per cent due to statutory retirement.

“Over 200 nurses left the services of the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital within the same period. Over 80 nurses left Primary Healthcare Board within the last two years which has only about 700 nurses and midwives.”

The exodus of these workers Awojide stated has adversely affected the quality of care, leading to increase workload and functional flexibility requirement on nurses without compensation.

“A reduced capacity in the health workforce means a reduced capacity to contain and fight new waves of pandemics and outbreaks.

“A poor retention rate only guarantees paralytic responses to new waves of pandemics within the foreseeable future,’’ he stated.

Izuchukwu Okosi

Izuchukwu Okosi is a Nigerian sports and entertainment journalist with two decades of experience in the media industry having begun his media journey in 2002 as an intern at Mundial Sports International (MSI) and Africa Independent Television (AIT), owners of Daar Communications Plc. In October 2004, Okosi joined Complete Communications Limited, publishers of Complete Sports newspaper and Complete Football magazine as a reporter and later script writer for the Complete Sports studio. He worked there for 13 years until October 2017. Okosi also worked various times as Correspondent, Content creator and Editor at Sports Market International Magazine, Opera News, All Nigeria Soccer Media and Iconic Media Watch. He also undertook freelance writing gigs for some local and international organizations. Okosi is a member of the Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN), Association of Movie Producers (AMP), Association of Voiceover Artistes of Nigeria (AVOA), Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN) and Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ). He has been part of cast in some Nollywood movies and radio dramas including Blood Money 2, Scores To Settle, Dead End 2, Another Campus Tale and Battle Line. Aside mainstream media and the entertainment industry, he has interests in scouting/unearthing of talents in the sports and creative sectors, exports business and property development.