BREAKING: We didn’t stop house officers salaries – FG
FG denies scrapping house officers salary
A viral memo from the National Council of Establishments and duly signed by the head from the the head of service, Dr Folashade Yemi-Esan, threw the Nigerian medical community both home and abroad into frenzy. The memo first published by nimeshealth.com.ng was widely interpreted to have purportedly scrapped salaries ,allowances and emoluments for house officers and other health interns- medical laboratory science interns, physiotherapy interns, pharmacy interns, nurse interns and even NYSC doctors. The federal government removed house officers from the federal civil service ( who are on Grade level 12 on the salary scale). According the head of service, house officers are not civil servants and their salaries should be determined outside the federal civil service salary structure.
READ ALSO: Incase You Missed the Viral Memo, here is it: Federal Government scraps housemanship salaries.
The FG thereby mandated the National Income and Wages Commission the draw-up a new salary structure with the inputs from the chief medical directors (CMDs), medical and dental council of Nigeria (MDCN) and other hospital managers …a move that many stalkholders in the health sector considered controversial and ambigous.
The decision by the FG generated a lot of negative reactions both on the social and print media. Many interpreted the memo to mean that he federal government have totally stopped payment of salaries to house officers, saying it is callous to make houseofficers and other health interns work for free. Other persons felt, the move will leave the plight of house officers in the hands of persons that caused the problems all along – the chief medical directors…it is a well known fact that the issues with non-payment of salaries to house officers started with the background squabble between the MDCN and CMDs.
The reaction the memo generated had prompted the federal government through the head of service to release a rejoinder making further clarification on the position of things. The newly released circular from the office of the head of service dated 24th, April, made it categorically clear that contrary to the viral misinformation out there, house officers and other health interns will be paid their salaries in full and there was no plan to alter their wages. The memo has advised to public to remain calm.
The latest circular from the FG:
“OFFICE OF THE HEAD OF THE CIVIL SERVICE OF THE FEDERATION.
PRESS STATEMENT
*RE:CIRCULAR ON INTERNSHIP PROGRAMME IN CIVIL/PUBLIC SERVICE.*
The attention of the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation has been drawn to publications making the rounds on social media platforms with regard to the ” *Establishment Circular*” on the above subject. It has therefore become important to make the following clarifications:
i. _The *Circular* does not in any way suggest or prescribe the discontinuance of remuneration, salaries and earned allowances for interns as being speculated_ ;
_ii. Moreover, internship is a period of work experience offered by an organization for a specified period of time. It is typically undertaken by students and fresh graduates to gain relevant skills in a particular field before being admitted as practitioners of the particular profession_ ; and
iii. _The Schemes of Service details the requirements for full employment and career progression within the Civil/Public Service._
2. It is important to reiterate that the circular does not seek to alter the wage structures of the internship programmes of different professions.
3. The above clarifications are for the avoidance of doubt and further guidance.
Signed:
AbdulGaniyu Aminu
Director, Press and Public Relations.
Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation (OHCSF)
24/4/2021″
Fingers remain crossed as we watch how things unfold. Luckily, it is time to pay salaries in April.
This article is the intellectual property of www.nimedhealth.com.ng
