Nigeria National Assembly move in to Save Minister for health's job, Stop Strike.

In order to prevent total shut down of health care services in the country from Wednesday, April 3, the Senate and the the House of Representatives have intervened in the on going crisis between the federal health workers and the Federal Ministry of Health (FMOH).

The federal health care workers under the auspices of the Joint Health Sector Unions (JOHESU) had vowed to shutdown health care services in the country, if their demands which include the removal of the Minister of Health, Prof. Christian Onyebuchi Chukwu were not met. The 15-day ultimatum they issued on March 18 will expire today, April 2.

JOHESU, which comprises Medical and Health Workers’ Union of Nigeria (MHWUN), National Association of Nigerian Nurses and Midwives (NANNM), Nigerian Union of Health Professionals (NUHEP), Staff Association of Universities’Teaching Hospitals, Research Institutes and Allied Institutions (SSAUTHRIAI), and Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions ( (NASU), is aggrieved over the non-implementation of 2012 collective agreement between the federal government and the JOHESU.

Other grievances include acts of victimisation of health workers, discrimination against its members, appointment of Chief Medical Directors, which favour medical practitioners while excluding other health workers and removal of Professor Christian Onyebuchi Chukwu as the minister of health.

Speaking in a telephone interview on Monday, the President of NUHEP, Comrade Felix Faniran told the Nigerian Compass that following the intervention, JOHESU "Will technically wait for these meetings with the Senate and the House of Representatives before deciding on the way forward".

According to him, while the House Committee on Health would meet representatives of JOHESU on April 11 to discuss the issues at stake, the Senate Committee on Health would meet with the union on April 17.