The Medical and Health Workers Union of Nigeria, representing employees of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, has reaffirmed its commitment to continue the ongoing strike until its demands are fully addressed.
In an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria in Kaduna on Saturday, the chapter’s chairman, Adetoboye Ayodeji, emphasized that the ball was now in NAFDAC’s court to initiate negotiations.
He stressed that the union required concrete evidence of the agency’s willingness to rectify the outstanding issues.
The strike, which commenced on October 7, was triggered by several unresolved grievances, including the review of the 2024 promotion examinations.
According to Ayodeji, many qualified staff were not promoted, with the agency citing a lack of “vacancy slots” from the Office of the Head of Service, despite staff members meeting all the criteria for promotion.
Ayodeji further highlighted that some employees hired in 2022 were still owed statutory arrears and other benefits, adding to the union’s list of grievances.
He pointed out that in 2022, the union had signed an agreement with the government and NAFDAC management concerning improvements to workers’ conditions of service.
The agreement was intended to be implemented by December 2022, but Ayodeji lamented that none of the agreed-upon issues had been resolved.
“The issues in the agreement were supposed to be settled in December 2022 but to date, none of the agreements have been complied with. Allowances that are supposed to be approved on or before December 2022 have not been approved, the condition of service could not be approved,” Ayodeji stated.
Ayodeji also noted that despite repeated written appeals to NAFDAC management, the union had not received a sufficient response regarding their concerns.
One of the major points of contention is the 2024 promotion examinations, which saw many staff members pass but remain unpromoted.
The management attributed this to a lack of available vacancies, a claim the union disputes.
“Unfortunately, the management was recruiting at the same time into the positions that they claim there was no vacancy while those that are rising through the ranks are not promoted, outsiders are brought to occupy the positions,” he alleged.
He expressed particular frustration with the fact that out of over 700 staff who took the promotion exams, fewer than 220 were promoted, accounting for just 36 percent of participants.
“Only 36 percent of participants in the examinations were promoted. We, therefore, said no, it is never possible. They cannot promote less than 80 percent of the participants,” he insisted.
The union, dissatisfied with the outcome of the promotion process, is calling for a review that would see more staff elevated.
Ayodeji warned that the low promotion rate would have a serious negative impact on the morale of the workforce, which in turn could affect the agency’s ability to safeguard the health of over 200 million Nigerians.
Further justifying the strike, Ayodeji mentioned the lingering issue of unpaid allowances in staff salaries, an issue that has persisted for over two decades. Despite numerous appeals to NAFDAC management and even issuing a two-week strike notice, the union received no explanation or response.
However, in a statement issued on Monday, NAFDAC’s Director-General, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, refuted the union’s claims.
She maintained that the agency had adhered to all rules regarding the payment of arrears and estacode and reiterated NAFDAC’s commitment to the welfare of its workers.
