NANNM chairman vows to push for members’ interest

The newly elected Chairman of the National Association of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives (NANNM) FCT Council, Mr Jama Medan has vowed not to relent in the push for the interest of its members. Medan told the Newsmen on Saturday after taking the oath of office that he would push for members’ interest both at the federal and state government levels.

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“Now that I have won the election, struggle continues until victory is ascertained, the truth is that there are a lot of expectations from us, we will continue to struggle for our people. In the whole of FCT hospital facilities, there is gross shortage of manpower, many nurses have left the country and there has not been a major employment to replace them. This is one area we will push for; our nurses have been collapsing on duty because of the workload, falling sick for one reason or the other because of the pressure of the work, so these are some of the challenges. The current economic reality is hitting harder; if you observe, you will find out that monthly salaries paid to workets, goes into transportation. A bag of rice now which cannot adequately feed a family of four  is above N50,000. The salary is just a meagre something. Looking at the high cost of rent, transportation and feeding, we will agitate for a change; salary should be reviewed immediately. Unions are not formed to relax at the Secretariat but to fight for interest and welfare of members; our major agenda for this new executive is to fight for the rights of the nurses and improve their lives,” he said.

Medan also appealed to President Bola Tinubu to consider nurses in his appointments as a follow-up to the earlier appeal in July by the immediate past Chairman of the council, Deborah Yusuf.

He said: “I am joining my voice to the appeal earlier made; the present government should please consider nurses and look at their contributions, especially during the COVID-19 era.

According to him, nurses constitute the largest workforce in the FCT, and that it will be a thing of joy if the nursing profession is considered in the president’s appointments.

NAN/Wumi