Medical lecturers set for strike as 14 NAMDA branches back action

The Nigerian Association of Medical and Dental Academics (NAMDA) is set to begin a three-day warning strike next Tuesday, with 14 of its 17 branches voting in support of the action. The National Executive Council directed the strike, which the association's Acting Secretary-General, Prof. Aniekan Peter, described as "total and comprehensive" across medical schools nationwide.

Peter, a professor of neuroanatomy at the University of Uyo, lamented the Federal Government's persistent neglect of medical lecturers' concerns. He highlighted the critical shortage of medical educators and the worsening "Japa" syndrome, where professionals emigrate, as factors pushing members toward this "avoidable strike."

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14 NAMDA Branches have voted to embark on industrial action as directed by NEC. The warning strike is scheduled to commence Tuesday, next week, and will be total and comprehensive across medical schools in the country.

Key issues fueling the strike include the government's failure, through the Ahmed Yahale Committee, to conclude negotiations on the conditions of service for medical lecturers. The association also points to the lack of formal documentation for payments under the CONMESS salary structure, non-payment of the Medical Consultancy Allowances (MCATA), Earned Academic Allowance (EAA), Excess Workload Allowance, and Professorial Allowance.

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Despite the dearth of medical lecturers and the worsening “Japa” syndrome, the Federal Government appears to have continued to ignore the legitimate concerns of medical lecturers. Medical lecturers are therefore being pushed into an avoidable strike.

Peter criticized the government for allowing these issues to escalate amid a severe shortage of medical lecturers. He questioned whether it is a "crime" for lecturers to remain in the country and serve despite harsh economic realities. The association urged the government to return to negotiations to resolve the issues before the warning strike becomes inevitable.

Furthermore, Peter condemned the government's strategy of "mass-producing doctors" to counter the shortage caused by emigration. He argued that this approach is flawed, as it fails to invest in the welfare and remuneration of the medical lecturers responsible for training these doctors. "We say no to slave wages for medical lecturers," Peter stated.

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We say no to slave wages for medical lecturers.