Lagos State Government, yesterday, condemned what it described as the recourse to blackmail and arm-twisting by the Nigeria Medical Association (NMA) and National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers Union (NUPENG) on the issue of medical doctors sacked in the state over an illegal strike.
The state government, in a statement signed by the Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr Lateef Ibirogba, said "it would soon be clear to the people that it is the NUPENG, whose stock in trade is to call a strike at every flimsy excuse, that is seeking to inflict more pains on the people through its sympathy strike and not the state government that has taken decisive steps to restore normalcy in the health sector in Lagos State."
Noting that NUPENG has shown clearly by its rash ultimatum that it had a clear political agenda, the Commissioner said "it was most unfortunate that NUPENG's voice was not raised in defense of doctors in the military hospitals who have not been paid for nine whole months while calling a strike in support of doctors who are well paid up to date but who chose to abandon their patients with many avoidable deaths recorded adding that, in other climes, such doctors should be facing prosecution now."
The statement reiterated the state government's warning against the continued intimidation of old and newly employed doctors who have conscientiously decided to work in the state hospitals to save lives.
According to the statement, NUPENG should not use the doctors' strike as a subterfuge to get back at the Lagos State Government for spearheading the much needed clearing of Apapa which has become a nightmare to lawful residents and businesses in the area due to indiscriminate parking and blockade of the roads by tanker drivers
Vanguard Nigeria