FG abandons 330 emergency health workers in Borno

Some of the Emergency Health workers at NUJ, Maidguri

A total of 330 emergency health workers recruited under the Federal Government  Health and Nutrition Emergency Response Project(HNERP) have been left stranded in Borno State.

The project which was a  Federal Government initiative to curb the outbreak of acute malnutrition in Borno State after the  declaration of  Malnutrition Emergency in Borno State in 2016.

Following the declaration of  malnutrition emergency in Borno State, the Federal Government in 2018 engaged the health workers and were posted to work in Displaced peoples camps across the 27 local government areas in the state.

But the program is now facing a serious set-back one year after the first phase of the program.

Some of the medical team who addressed the press in Maiduguri accused the Federal Government and Borno State Government for abandoning them, after they were asked by Borno State government to continue with the program.

The leaders of the team, Pharmacist Isaac Newton Nsoha in company of his members said they are confused at the treatment being mated on them by both the Federal Government and  Borno State Government, adding that they are being owed three months salaries.

The leader explained that after their initial contract of one year with the Federal Government expired, they were asked by Borno State Government to continue but three months after that directives, they were asked to submit all materials in their possession concerning they project.

The ad-hoc staff appealed to either the Federal Government or Borno State Government to pay them their three months outstanding allowances.

His text reads: “We are, the ad-hoc staff of Health and Nutrition Emergency Response Project (HNERP) of Borno state, a project set up under the auspices of the Federal Ministry of Health in collaboration with the Borno State Ministry of Health to respond to the Nutritional and Health Challenges cum Emergencies occasioned as a result of the Insurgent activities in Borno state. We are made up of 33 teams in which each team is comprised of 10 member team, i.e. 330 ad-hoc member staff in all, and the range of our allowance is between 350k- 80k base on the caders.

Leader of the Emergency Health workers, Pharmacist Isaac Newton Nsoha addressing the press in Maiduguri

“It is with a heavy heart that we bring to the public that no payment has been made on our account since the assumption of duties. It is now Eight Months, and there has been no indication of the remuneration payments. The first contract expired last year around the 30th of November, 2019, and we were asked to continue working by the State coordinator of the project in the person of Dr Babagana Shehu; of which we were supervised throughout the three months, before we were asked to submit our Jackets on the 1^st of March, 2020, that the program has been stopped. We have exhausted all alternatives to reach to the appropriate authorities, and that is why we resorted to this medium.

“We will like Your Excellency to know that the entire ad-hoc staff which comprises of Doctors, Nurses, Pharmacists, Medical Laboratory Scientists and  Technicians, HIM, Nutritionists and CHEW posted to all Local Governments of Borno State have not been paid the three months of the remuneration since March 2020. The untold hardship encountered in the discharge of our duties cannot be quantified. We have daily needs, coupled with the economic bottlenecks that are bedevilling our society, you will understand that we are currently relying on the support from our friends and relatives.

“Which begs the question, Who is sitting on the allowance, since December last year?

“Earlier last year we had similar issues where for the past three months also our allowance was not paid not until some protest got involved that within 48 hours they started releasing the money from an individual private account.

“Please, your Excellencies should look into this matter with a view of finding out what went wrong with our allowance and also look into the contract to make it more transparent and stable.  The recipient of our services which are most people leaving in the various IDP camps in Borno state are suffering, the truth is none will like to be in their situation, and they did not choose such condition for themselves. If such a program like Health and Nutrition emergency response project has been set up for the absolute well being, it should be holistic and transparent. So that all the needed medical materials include drugs should always be made available, not sending medical personnel to various volatile areas which are inadequately equipped. It is disheartening to see that after the arduous conditions, they had to overcome, they have also been refused their entitlements,” the workers appealed.

Reacting to the matter, the Hon. Commissioner for Health in Borno State, Dr. Salihu Kwayabura in a telephone interview disclosed that his ministry  has written to Gov. Babagana Zulum and he has requested for more explanation on the status of the health workers to explore the possibility of taking advantage of the program for the benefit of Borno State.

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