'How I Battle to Salvage Nursing Profession'
Amid the many allegations against him, the President of National Association of Nigerian Nurses and Midwives, Pat Eze, says he remains focused, salvaging the collapsing nursing profession. He speaks to Chris Nwachuku.
Can you describe the state of your union before 2000 when you were elected and thereafter?
My union was fragile and if I could borrow the words used by THISDAY, it was docile and colourless, nothing was working, nothing was moving. The union was almost at a dead end. This could be attributed to our association with the military regime. We fraternised with military government, abandoned our members and allies. In the comity of trade unions, the National Union of Nurses and Midwives became a black sheep, we were treated with disdain. The present crop of Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) leadership could testify to this.
Expectedly, we did not keep to the core-function of the union. We relegated our responsibilities to our members. By this time, we have problems. Nurses and midwives were denied appropriate duty, shift and other relevant welfare package.
Ironically, eight years before my election, my predecessor could not utilised the relationship with the officials of the military government to get these things done. Even when we threatened strike, we were not taken serious. In most cases, the strikes were called off, without achieving anything and without also the consent of the National Executive Council (NEC) of NANNM.
Thirdly, staff welfare was not given priority. Their morale was low. Salaries were not paid for months, working facilities were not provided for. Our affiliation with international professional bodies were terminated due to our inability to pay our affiliation dues. our image as a body was bad, it was nothing to write home about.
There was division among our secretariat staff. Our paid secretaries were dehumanised and frustrated. In the name of the military imposed laws, they were sent out of meetings for not being card carrying members. It was only the nurses union that sent its paid staff out of meetings, just to satisfy those who made the controversial trade union laws. These were the problems I met.
However, all these change when I came on board, with my promise to transform the association. Today, through sheer doggedness, we have retained our place in the Nigeria Labour Congress. I have tried to also relaunch the union by bringing it back to the consciousness of the society. This has paid off. The association is today known both locally and internationally. Within the society, our presence and activities are well-recognised. Within my first six months, I got the new scheme of service released. I also got one draconian clause which barred holders of nurses administration and management from being promoted to level 12 removed.
If you have done all these, why are some of your members crucifying you?
They are not crucifying me, only a few who lost election are doing those dirty jobs, spreading wrong information. The teeming members are with me. They know what I have achieved for them. They know that I have rejuvenated the national secretariat, employing more competent hands and ensuring regular promotion. The atmosphere to effectively discharged their duties has also been created. I gave car loan without interest attached to it. Some of the staff I met, lacked the necessary educational qualification to enable them run the secretariat, I had to embark on capacity building. We sent people to programmes ran by NLC education team including state council officials. We also initiated internally some educational programmes. Four of our state secretaries went to Administrative Staff College of Nigeria (ASCON), Badagry, two of them finished last year. For the first time in the history of our union, we sent the General Secretary to NIPSS in Kure, just to beef him up. We have also moved the secretariat to a better secretariat, while also departmentalising our operations; to make the administration more efficient and staff result oriented.
At the state level, I have employed over 20 nurses as secretaries. At the international arena, we have rejoined our affiliates. Today, under my administration, we have paid over N5 million as dues. We have also registered with Commonwealth Nurses Federation, London, as well as Public Service Institute. NLC had already integrated nurses union in all aspect of its activities, a mark of confidence on my leadership. Only recently I represented NLC General Secretary in Ebonyi State, where I presented paper on health reform. Although, we are still owing check off dues, we have reported our financial difficulties, gradually we will overcome them.
Last year, you went on strike, many believe that you achieved very little and that nurses still face the same problems?
I have done much for nurses, forget what people are saying. Less than one year in office, that is between July and July 2001, I tried to meet with the management over the scheme of service, which I got. The scheme of service obtained was the first that allow nurses to move to grade level 17. I also challenged the discrepancies in call duty and other allowances paid to nurses, doctors and other categories of health workers. Asor Bur Committee after submission of the Inter Ministerial Committee gave doctors four per cent call duty allowances. Pharmacists, medical labour technologists were given two and half per cent, while nurses and midwives were offered 1.73 per cent. All these ran contrary to the Industrial Arbitration Panel award, which stated that nurses should enjoy all other allowances at the role given to pharmacist as in Britain. The award was never revoked. Now, we are given 1.72 per cent just to marginalised us. Besides, our scheme was factionalised into so many cadres. Again, what we requested for chief nurses, assistant director and director were not created at Federal Ministry of Health. Worse still, a graduate nurse comes out on and is placed on level eight after five years in university and one year internship and a year NYSC. Pharmacist spent five years in the university, one year internship and another year in NYSC and his entry point is level 10. For a doctor who spent six years and one year housemanship plus a year of compulsory NYSC, his starting point is level 12. This is discriminatory. We cried foul. Professor A.B.C. Nwosu, the then Health Minister did not take us serious until we declared strike in July 2001. For the first time in the history of nurses association, we went on strike for six weeks. Also, everything was made open. Only the NEC could put of the strike.
At the peak of the strike, we reached an agreement brokered by Oshiomhole. A directorate was created, 30 per cent increase in shift allowance, call allowance to be at par with pharmacist, while other things were to be deliberated at a later date. Are these not success stories?
There appear to be more factions in your union than ever before?
Most people just refuse to fear and respect the wishes of God. Before I become president, I used to go to NEC meetings with memo on how to improve the association. My predecessor saw me as a threat and devised a hidden agenda. He supported a candidate. Yet in an election that was free and fair, they lost. The game plan was to have their candidate for four years then he would hand over to the financial secretary who is now the deputy president. My predecessor was earmarked for the position of general secretary. When we confronted him, he denied and said that he had a job in oversees. Today, he is still a principal of a school in Nigeria. You cannot deceive people always. Many people saw it and revolted. The result was my overwhelming election. Ironically, I was the poorest candidate. The power of incumbent was there and the power of Ghana Must Go was visible. But members saw in me certain qualities which fascinated them.
After my election, there was a circular to the effect that I was a muslim and they vowed to destroy me. Since that defeat, they have not been comfortable.
Unlike other unions, there appear to be prevailing deep rooted religious sentiments?
I cannot say yes or no. In every 12, there is a Judas, some people wipe up ethnic sentiments. But majority of our members are reasonable. The least member in our union is on level eight, so they know the right thing.
In professional organisation, we don't talk of religious and ethnic sentiments, it will only becloud your sense of judgment.
Some accused you of aristocratic behaviour, which contradict trade union values?
If given them good condition of service, taking their problem to government, buying land for permanent secretariat in Abuja, building cybercafe in Abuja, computerising our operations, rebuilding our image, given award to old fellows and first female president of the nurses, bagging MON, pursuing a doctorate degree among others is aristocratic, then I am one.
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