NMA Extends Ultimatum By Four Weeks

The Nigeria Medical Asso
ciation (NMA) has extended by four weeks its subsisting ultimatum to allow for implementation of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between it and the Federal Government.
The President of the association, Dr Osahon Enabulele, told a news conference in Abuja last Monday that the extension was an outcome of its National Executive Council meeting held on September 23 in Abuja.
“The National Executive Council (NEC) welcomed some developments in the Memorandum of Understanding reached at the end of the Conciliation meeting held between the Nigerian Medical Association and the Federal Government negotiating team and urged the NMA negotiating team to continue the dialogue with government.
“Furthermore, in appraising the observed implementation of the MoU thus far, NEC unanimously resolved to extend by 4 weeks the subsisting ultimatum to allow for implementation of the elements of the MoU within the government’s set time lines.
“Government gave itself four weeks to do the necessary things to permanently address the issues tabled before it by the Nigerian Medical Association.“
On September 2, NMA gave the federal government a 21-day ultimatum to tackle the challenges confronting the healthcare system in the country.
Enabulele said the current MoU was reached at the end of a conciliatory meeting held between the association and the federal government negotiation team on Sept.ember 9.
The president of the association explained that a committee headed by the head of the civil service of the federation, Alh Bukar Goni Aji, was inaugurated on Sept. 13 to address the issues raised by NMA and make recommendations to government within four weeks.
He said the committee was inaugurated by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Sen.  Anyim Pius Anyim.
Enabulele, however, said that at the end of the four weeks extension, the association would take appropriate actions to protect the interests of its members, if government failed to address the pending issues.