The Association of Resident Doctors (ARD) in the service of the Kogi State Government has expressed their displeasure over the non-implementation of the approved new salary structure, CONMESS 2024.
The association made its position public at a news briefing at the end of an emergency meeting held at its Secretariat within Kogi Specialist Hospital, Lokoja on Saturday.
The group also expressed dismay over the non-payment of the arrears of the new minimum wage for October as promised by the government.
The state President of the association, Dr Ameh Friday, appealed to Gov. Ahmed Ododo to intervene.
According to him, members at the meeting aired their grievances for being excluded from the minimum wage implementation in October, and appealed to the governor to do the needful.
“Recall that in October, the government graciously approved the new salary structure, CONMESS 2024, for doctors working in the state.
“This was to motivate the already impoverished doctors and serve as halting mechanism to the norms that exist, where doctors working in the state are always desirous to leave the service due to poor remuneration.
“The approval, which was conveyed by the Commissioner for Health, Dr Abdulazeez Adams, and widely circulated and published in the media brought joy to doctors in the state.
“In appreciation of the information, various doctors’ associations in Kogi expressed their gratitude to the governor and prayed for the success of his administration,” Ameh said.
He, however, pointed out that the implementation that was to take effect in October was later moved to November and with a promise that the accrued October arrears would be paid alongside November salary.
He said: “Members were, however, thrown into disarray when November salary was paid few days ago without the October arrears of the minimum wage and implementation of the CONMESS 2024.
“It’s on record that, among all the health workers with Kogi Government, only medical doctors are still on the old salary structure of CONMESS 2014, whereas others have been on CONHESS 2024.
“The association uses this medium to appeal to the governor to wade into the situation and extend his goodwill to the doctors in the state Civil Service.
“We urge him to direct the relevant government agencies to ensure the full implementation of what was rightly approved for the continuous harmony and peace in the health sector.
“The association firmly believes in the capacity of the welfare-friendly governor to act in the best interest of the state doctors to prevent any disruption of service by the already ill-motivated doctors,” Ameh said.
NAN
