Cornucopia: Tears from Anambra Nurses, as Civil Service Commission Boss, Mrs Collette Nwajiani rejoices
By Odogwu Emeka Odogwu, PhD
Thank you Prof Charles Chukwuma Soludo for listening to our appeal to restore the teachers who were abruptly sacked or relived of their appointment. Their families joys are now overwhelming. About a 100 of such teachers who had their salaries denied have been paid. They have been restored as teachers. They aren’t ghosts either. That’s why I am thanking you.
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The same way, we are appealing about journalists working at National Light Newspapers whose jobs are threatened. Please don’t sack them. Paying them off either isn’t even the best for them. I suggest you absorb them in the Ministries where they have competency. Let me not fight over closing the establishment which is our pride as Ndi Anambra. Posterity can only be your judge if you close the firm. I just got information, you have called for their files through the office of the Head of Service, HoS, Barr Theodora Okwy Igwegbe,mni. What can she do? Compiling the names of staff of National Light for sack or pay off is the greatest disservice to her as HoS, from the Governor but what can she do ,if all her suggestions were rebuffed sequel to those championing the injustice to mankind,we are watching. But, I drive joy in the mantra that whatever goes around, comes around, because karma is a bitch. Your Excellency, you won’t be employing thousands of staff and less than a hundred staff in National Light becomes your headache, that if you don’t sack or retrench them ,you won’t sleep. Let this banner pass over you. The stigma won’t be easy to be erased in years to come and those who were bent on ensuring this policy stand won’t be there to receive the bash. Mbadinuju struggled till death to remove the stigma of teachers strike. Relocate National Light if their premises is the attraction.
Let me ask you to take a second look at the outrageous fees at some mission schools. Is it justified, if the government pays their staff and the schools still charge out of reach fees from students?
Is Mrs Collette Nwajiani, Chairman or Chairperson Anambra State Civil Service Commission killing the spirit of civil service or ? Several complaints I have received against her style but she told me she knows what she is doing. She told me she is firm and fair. But nurses are cursing her already for sending them out of promotion exam hall of the state civil service saying that their cases were different. That they said was insulting on them. And to worsen their woes, she sent most of them home from the exam halls. Already, 30 nurses wrongly placed have resigned and left due to humiliating stances of the Civil Service Commission Boss.
The nurses said that not only that graduate nurses with university degrees were wrogly placed on COHESS 8 instead of CONHESS 9, approved by National Counsel on establishment since 2021.
Nurses have complained severally about her frustrations but she asked me to tell them to do a petition rather than complaining to a journalist, and an Odogwu at that. Though a jovial being, I still wonder why she couldn’t satisfactorily explain to the nurses to calm their anxiety. Investigations revealed that she knows her job but can be annoying as she always consults her service rules and guides before any action.
She claims that any petition from the nurses shall be treated with dispatch. Must civil service be through petition? Can’t honest observation or injustice be rectified without a petition? Was it because the governor thumped up for her according to Obidike that she is refusing to implement an approved scale for nurses and insisting nothing shall happen?
But, the nurses insisted she has denied them all their rights and privileges since her coming on board. The nurses and midwives claimed all their petitions have been thrown in the trash cans by her. They claimed she is using old policies of 2003 in 2023 to guide her actions..
They accused her of taking pride in living in the past by operating with the obsolete scheme of service of 2003 rather than updating it to meet the current requirements and necessities of civil servants. They also accused her of despising approved educational and professional provisions by the National Universities Commission (NUC) and Professional Councils. They even accused her of describing the certificates issued/awarded by them as trash.
They claimed unless Prof Soludo intervenes, strange things may start to happpen in the health sector as they have been treated as outsiders. Please ,our dear Governor, since you love the Health professionals kindly resolve. I thought it’s something Hon Commissioner would have resolved but they are accusing him too of inaction.
On his part, the Hon Commissioner for Health, Dr Afam Obidike told me he is disappointed on the allegations from the nurses after he has done so much for them. Obidike says the civil service Boss is firm and the kind Soludo loves. And I ask even when on the wrong path?
Soon, Anambra State hospitals shall be a ghost of it’s self despite the dollar investment by the Prof Charles Chukwuma Soludo led government through the supervision of the Honourable Commisioner for Health, Dr Afam Obidike. I call on Obidike to rush into this matter as a matter of urgency and resolve it, if it’s okay by him.
Providing healthcare isn’t moimoi and sequel to that brain drain is imminent where good pay and better condition of service exist. Though, there may be shortage of nurses because so many are not in the hospitals but in the Ministry.
Number of nurses are now grossly inadequate. To some governments, unacceptable because the ratio is unbelievable.
Doctor ratio to patients supposed to be 6,000 population to a doctor, but it’s now about 33,000 to a doctor, if not more now.
If care is not taken, soon in Anambra nurses flight shall be evident as its still on hidden rate but already doctors are running the hospitals, the theatre and taking calls 24hrs as well. This is because of shortage of nurses and midwives.
Probably that’s why it’s common knowledge, and people gossip that patients are neglected in hospitals.
Recall that Dr Tanko Sununu, Chairman House Committee on healthcare services said that Nigeria losses over 1,700 nurses in a single month.
He spoke at Channels TV’s Sunrise Daily. He was there to speak on a proposed bill to amend the Medical and Dental Practitioners Act 2004. The bill is to address the brain drain in the health sector.
The bill seeks to mandate Nigerian-trained medical and dental professionals to practise for at least five years before getting full licence.
He said he was shocked when he went for an oversight visit to the Nursing Council of Nigeria and discovered that in one month, Nigerians lost over 1,700 nurses, that means getting to 17,000 to 18,000 in a year.
And following an appeal by various groups in the society, Anambra State government under Soludo is embarking on employment of One thousand Nurses and Midwives to replace dead, retired ones and those who left to other countries.
Chairman, National Association of Nigerian Nurses and Midwives, NANNM, Anambra State Council, Comrade Edith Onwuka confirmed that.
Comrade Onwuka is also the Chairman, Anambra State Joint Negotiating Council. She even confirmed that since inception of Governor Soludo’s administration, there has been drastic improvement in health Sector. She lamented that Prof Soludo isn’t aware of their sufferings in the hands of the civil service commission led by Mrs Collette Nwajiani.
She confirmed that due to retirement, death and brain drain, nurses are few in Anambra as their colleagues now seek greener pastures overseas and federal health institutions.
She opened up on the needs of the nurses, appealing to the state government to approve at least 80 percent out of 100 percent consolidated health Salary Structure ( CONHESS) for Nurses. She begged Soludo to implement the National Reviewed Hazard Allowance for Nurses to motivate them for higher productivity. She said also such if done shall curb the ravaging brain drain in the health Sector.
She opined that if Governor Soludo invests on nurses ,quality health care delivery will be topnotch in line with his vision of creating a liveable homeland for the state a reality.
She called for a review of the Consolidated Health Salary Structure (CONHESS) because it had suffered poor implementation in the state.
According to her “Nurses and midwives, being promoters of health, show appreciation with your move in cleaning Okpoko which had always been the epicenter for disease outbreak due to environmental insults and degradation.
“We have also seen your commitment in cleaning up the rest of the cities which we commend in special way as it will reduce disease outbreak like cholera, diarrhea, measles etc.
The nurses now in Anambra appealed strongly to Mr Governor to look into the issues affecting nurses, especially now that he is taking stock of challenges in different ministries, and MDA’s.
She decried poor remuneration of nurses and midwives which has led to mass migration of highly qualified nurses to either federal health institutions or outside the country in search for greener pastures. She said work is overwhelming nurses and midwives still working in Anambra state hospitals.
For them, Consolidated Health Salary Structure (CONHESS) has not been properly implemented in the state, not to talk of CONHESS of which 60% is on paper but not properly and fully reflected in the implementation.
Nurses are now asking for not only the full implementation of 60% CONHESS, but upward review to 100% CONHESS for nurses in the state and local government (Primary Health Care Centers) where there is shortage with the attendant negative consequences.
Already to drive better work relationship, a five-member of Anambra State Civil Service Commission was sworn in.
Chairperson of the Commission is Mrs Collette Nwajiani. Other members Mr Philip Kweazu, Chief Simon Onuorah, Sir Moses Anakebe and Mrs Chichi Ogbuli. The comission is to recruit, promote and discipline civil servants.
Thet were sworn in during Governor Willie Obiano’s tenure. At their inauguration he was then represented by the Commissioner for Justice and Attorney General of the State, Barr Uju Nworgu who again was represented by then Chief State Counsel, Barr Dubem Uzoka.
Then Governor Obiano told them that government expects to see a rejuvenated and productive civil service where commitment to duty and integrity should be the watchword. Their appointment coincided with the approval of the 2017 promotion of civil servants, having completed the 2015 and 2016 promotions.
As we write, Anambra State Civil Service Commission recruitment
2023/2024 has ended without many knowing. But the nurses are worried. They accused the Chairman civil service commission Mrs Collette Nwajiani of hatching plans to frustrate nurses in the state. They are pushing to see the Governor.
Opinions sampled by the Promoter of Cornucopia revealed that since her regime in 2017, that she has been tormenting nurses without let.
Nurses are worried that she vehemently refused to convert nurses that have suffered to upgrade themselves to get BNSC in Nursing even they followed all known rules and due process in the civil service rule. They even accused her directly of always sitting on their files at the commission and refused to process it. These superior authorities have confirmed and claimed that abridged programme by the Imo state university won’t be recognized as a BNSc.
The nurses were not happy that it took the intervention of the Head of Service (HoS), Commissioner for Health and Mr Governor to clear nurses who had double qualifications but did not do midwifery.
They termed her a hater of nurses and midwives in Anambra state referencing what she did to nurses with double qualifications by granting them appointment as single qualified nurse, placing them below their entry point in the civil service.
They accused her of unimaginable hatred for nurses as she gave wrong interpretation of scheme of nurses just to pin nurses down, noting that her actions has lead to exit of many nurses out of civil service because of stagnation.
They accused her of refusing nurses to participate in the ongoing promotion excercise approved by Governor Soludo on the ground of additional certificates which they got following the civil service rule. They wondered why she hasn’t started the process of results verification if she is doubting the certificates the nurses they are holding. Or was she just wicked to the nurses?
Their tears were flowing when they couldn’t get help as the Director of Nursing Services in Anambra state Mrs Anene Pepetua refused to intervene because her retirement is around the corner. Efforts to have her speak couldn’t yield results but Hon Commissioner for Health described her as good and a round peg in a round hole.
They wondered why for more than 7 years the state hospital management board do not have a Director of Nursing due to what they described as the wickedness of Mrs Nwajiani. Nurses and Midwives were unhappy that even when they have people that are qualified to hold the post in Acting capacity, the Civil Service Commission Boss refused to give approval for the Acting Director of Nursing, Anambra State.
Commisioner for Health dismissed the allegations against him as he has nothing to do with Civil Service Commission that was holding their promotion but explained that the Ministry forwarded all their names to Commission which withheld them according to them sequel to lack of qualifications. He said Obi made it possible for them to rise to 15 instead of 14. He said he did purpose driven recruitment and that his mission in Anambra is service delivery hence he won’t step down on the clock in and out for Health workers in the state. He said a lot but a story for another day. Nurses wondered if the clock in and out were for only nurses ,but doctors can come twice a week?
The nurses are weeping over the kind of humiliation nurses and midwives are undergoing in the hospital. They lamented that Nurses are targeted and not appreciated for the enormous work they do. They informed that when the Commissioner for Health, Hon Afam Obidike came on Board , that nurses rejoiced looking back to where he came from but things now became worst as nurses are leaving the state service because of maltreatment. This too ,Obidike said he couldn’t understand because he was doing everything at their interest.
What is the solution to this weeping in the state by nurses? Governor Soludo must intervene? Or we soon wake to nurses quagmire that may not be easily resolved.
Cornucopia is a weekly column of Comrade Odogwu Emeka Odogwu, PhD, JP.
Odogwu is a known Journalist, Editor, Media Consultant, Teacher, Social Analyst, Motivator, Unionist and Famous Blogger ,as well as Social Media Entrepreneur, Publisher and Conversationalist @ www.odogwublog.com among others.
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