The threat to sack the striking doctors in Osun State may be carried out starting from Monday.
Governor Rauf Aregbesola gave the hint of what might befall the doctors in Osogbo on Thursday while speaking at the 75th birthday of the founding President of the Nigeria Labour Congress, Hassan Sunmonu.
The governor said he was surprised that despite his efforts to persuade the doctors, who went on strike on September 28th, 2015, they had stuck to their guns.
He said, “To my dismay, they have stuck to their guns. But you are either in or out. We have decided to use the civil service rule.
“The Head of Service will implement that as from Monday. Head of Service, it is over to you.”
Some of those present starting grumbling loud enough to attract the attention of the governor, who was forced to ask if some of the doctors were present at the occassion.
It was further gathered that the ultimatum to resume or be sacked given to the doctors had been extended and it would expire on Friday January 8.
The Permanent Secretary of the Hospitals Management Board, Mrs. Omolara Ajayi, had while addressing journalists earlier appealed to the doctors to resume work in the interest of the masses.
Ajayi said it was not wrong to ask for one’s rights but the doctors should consider the masses who could not afford to seek medical treatment at private hospitals.
She said, “I want to appeal to them to resume in the interest of the masses, who do not have any alternative. A life lost is lost forever; such life cannot be resurrected after the end of the crisis.”
The PS also said state hospitals were not deserted, saying other medical workers were not on strike and they were rendering services to patients.
The governor also insisted that the hospitals were not deserted despite the almost four months old strike.
Aregbesola said this in a statement by his media aide, Mr. Semiu Okanlawon.
The state government had given the doctors a seven day ultimatum to resume or consider themselves sacked. The ultimatum expired on December 25th but it was said to have been extended to January 8.
