The Benue State chapter of the National Association of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives (NANNM) has warned that hardline measures allegedly taken against striking nurses by the management of the Benue State University Teaching Hospital (BSUTH), Makurdi, could further prolong the ongoing industrial action.
The warning was contained in a statement issued on Monday by the state chairman of the association, Tahav Kershio.
Kershio condemned what he described as intimidation, threats and punitive actions against nurses, saying such approaches were outdated and counterproductive to peaceful conflict resolution.
According to him, newly employed nurses are yet to receive their salaries, while older staff members are reportedly being paid only partially.
He alleged that threats of dismissal, delays in confirmation for some nurses and other punitive steps were capable of escalating tensions and attracting national attention to the crisis at BSUTH.
The NANNM chairman lamented that the alleged actions were being taken at a time when the union leadership was engaged in high-level negotiations with the Benue State Government, accusing the hospital management of sabotaging efforts aimed at resolving the impasse.
Kershio further disclosed that over 100 nurses were owed between two and three months’ salary arrears spanning 2024 and 2025, while promotion shortfall arrears for 2023 remained unpaid. He claimed that affected nurses received N120,000 instead of the approved N750,000, alongside other outstanding entitlements.
He added that similar unresolved issues affecting nurses under the Primary Health Care Board and the Hospital Management Board, including their removal from the Contributory Pension Scheme, must be addressed before the union could consider suspending the strike.
Kershio noted that the grievances had lingered for over a year despite repeated letters and meetings. He recalled that during the nationwide nurses’ strike, newly employed nurses at BSUTH were exempted to pursue their unpaid 2024 allowances, but the effort yielded no result.
The NANNM chairman dismissed claims that BSUTH nurses were politically motivated or indifferent to the hospital’s welfare, describing such assertions as false and misleading.
He maintained that the association had no political agenda and had consistently acknowledged the efforts of Governor Hyacinth Alia in improving the health sector in the state.
Kershio appealed to the Benue State Government to urgently intervene to prevent further escalation of the crisis and restore industrial harmony at the teaching hospital.
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