By Noah Nobert
Health workers in the employment of Osun State Government are on war path with the State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, who they accused of short-changing them in the manner the new minimum wage was implemented for civil servants in the health sector.
The displeased workers specifically, accused the State Chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress, Christopher Arapasopo, of deliberately throwing down under the bus regarding the negotiation for new wage.
According to them, Arapasopo acted the way he did to please Adeleke and short-change the workers.
A couple of workers in the Ministry of Health and those engaged under the Hospital Management Board, said their monthly take home only increased marginally after the new minimum wage was received.
The workers said Adeleke and those behind the table for the implementation of new wage in Osun had deliberately ensured that health workers did not enjoy the kind of increase their counterpart in other ministries got when the new table was used to pay their salaries last December.
“For instance, salary of someone on level 10 working in Fakunle Comprehensive High School, Osogbo, jumped from N63, 000 to N136,000 after the table for new minimum wage was used to pay December salaries.
“But check salaries of health workers, many of them have increment that is less than N60,000. Why is Adeleke using divide and rule?
“In December last year, health workers in Osun were not paid with the new salary scale. No tangible reason was given for them. But other categories of workers and those in other ministries in the state got good salaries.
“Our people are really displeased with Adeleke and we will stop his second term ambition. When implementation of new wage commenced for workers in the health sector, in January, 2025, there was no significant changes in what we earn. About N55,000 was added to my monthly take home. Those on the same level with me, but working in other ministries in the state had the double of the amount they used to earn as salary.
“Adeleke has really treated us badly and we will retailiate. There are plans on what we will do. I can assure our colleagues that we will take our pound of flesh,” a director in the Ministry of Health, who preferred anonymity had said during an interview.
A female nurse at the Asubiaro State Hospital, Osogbo, who berated labour leaders in the state for colluding with Adeleke to inflict pains on doctors, nurses and other staff in the health sector, demanded a review to place health workers at par with other staff of the state government.