The Joint Health Sector Unions (JOHESU) on Thursday visited the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Umuahia, to monitor and ensure full compliance with the ongoing nationwide strike.
Members of the unions, carrying placards and led by their leadership, went to various offices, urging staff on duty to join the strike. The JOHESU team included members of the Medical and Health Workers Union of Nigeria (MHWUN) and the National Union of Allied Health Professionals (NUAHP), who insisted the industrial action would continue until their demands were met.
The Federal Ministry of Health had issued a ‘no work, no pay’ directive to all Chief Medical Directors and Medical Directors of federal hospitals, effective January 2026.
During the enforcement, health workers displayed placards with inscriptions such as: “JOHESU strike: no justice, no retreat” and “CONHESS adjustment is sacrosanct, no going back.”
The Abia State Chairman of NUAHP, Mr Chibueze Oparaocha, said the union, alongside MHWUN, was ensuring full compliance at the facility.
“It is statutory that we go around from time to time to ensure full compliance. We followed due process before embarking on this strike, and if we don’t get justice, we will continue to struggle,” Oparaocha said.
Also speaking, State Chairman of MHWUN, Mr Solomon Offor, said the union was enforcing the strike, which began on November 15, 2025. He explained that the industrial action is aimed at securing the implementation of the 12-year-old adjusted Consolidated Health Salary Structure (CONHESS).
“We are aware that negotiations are ongoing between the national directorate of JOHESU and the Federal Ministry of Health, but enforcing this strike will push the government to do the needful,” Offor said.
The Chairperson of MHWUN at FMC Umuahia, Mrs Commy Okonkwo, expressed satisfaction with the compliance rate and thanked members for their cooperation and commitment. She also admonished those who attempted to sabotage the union’s efforts, saying such actions prompted the monitoring visit.
“The compliance is quite encouraging, and I’m hopeful the government will listen to our demands and act accordingly,” Okonkwo said.
