UPDATED: Katsina nurses threaten strike over insecurity

The National Association of Nigerian Nurses and Midwifery, Katsina State Council, on Tuesday, threatened to withdraw its members from frontline Local Government Areas in the state over the government’s alleged failure to address security concerns and welfare issues.

The association also threatened to embark on an indefinite strike should the government refuse to address their demands by the end of the two-day warning strike.

The warning strike could start on Thursday, January 30, 2025, noting that the association may withdraw its members from the frontline local government areas of Batsari, Funtua, Malnufashi, Kankara, Kurfi, Danmusa, and Jibia.

Briefing newsmen on Tuesday at the NANNM office in Katsina, Chairman of the Council, Nura Mu’azu, said the withdrawal became necessary among other needs of the association, that it has been 14 days since the abduction of its member, Mr Yusuf Mohammed Mairuwa, one of the most hardworking, skilled and vast experienced professionals in Katsina
State Health Sector.

“Mairuwa was patriotically on duty in General Hospital Kankara on Tuesday 15th January 2025, saving lives, caring for the sick and providing excellent leadership when he was taken unawares under the threat of guns and being taken away alongside other health workers to an unknown destination; their whereabouts and condition hitherto unknown”, according to Mu’azu.

He lamented that the victim, as a family man, with a wife and children whose means of livelihood and future were abruptly truncated.

“He falls victim while in the line of duty, and this has aggravated the fear in every health worker serving in the frontline and vulnerable areas as it has proven beyond any reasonable doubt that no healthcare worker is safe despite our immeasurable sacrifices to the society and humanity.

“The situation has equally scratched the scar/wound that we all have from related cases such as the killing of our late colleague, Mr. Murtala Isah Safana, working then with the General Hospital Dutsin-ma who was killed by gunmen in 2022, the attack on Mr. Hamza Saleh (Registered Ophthalmic Nurse) while on his way to work around Yan-Tumaki junction as a result of which he lost his right eye forever, and the abduction of the wife of one of our colleagues Mr Mustafa Hamza who took food to him while he was on duty in General Hospital Kurfi, saving lives in the theatre as a Nurse Anaesthetist when unknown gunmen attacked the hospital in November 2024 and he had to pay about N5m ransom to secure her release after disposing of all his belongings and properties of their relations which left them impoverished as the salary is nothing to ride home about.”

PUNCH Online learnt that the association had earlier written to the Katsina State Government, through the Hospital Management Board and copied all the relevant offices of the Government on January 15, 2025, as it highlighted the need to
provide security in the hospital facilities across the frontline and vulnerable axis of the state which they gave the government two weeks to do that or risk withdrawal of members from the hospitals in Batsari, Danmusa, Kankara, Jibia, Dutsin-ma,
Musawa, Malumfashi, Funtua, and even Batagarawa GARSH.

Explaining further, Mu’azu said the state government has promised to meet up with their demands within 3 days in the frontline areas and 7-days in the vulnerable areas.

“Unfortunately, even as the 2-week period is elapsing tomorrow, no significant commitment is seen from the government practically, and with the obvious implications on our members, we can’t take this lightly because General Hospital Kankara was the second hospital that was attacked after General Hospital Kurfi which was attacked late last year where the victims were left on their own. So we are now on our while on duty”, he noted.

However, Mu’azu said the association is not unmindful of the efforts of the government and other relevant stakeholders to combat insecurity noting that the investment of the administration in security is commendable which he said the result was obvious.

“However the need to do more is equally increasing especially to ensure the protection of our health facilities because Insecurity as it is today is the biggest threat to humanity and human development. We are also aware of the investment of this Administration in health infrastructure across Katsina state and other achievements recorded so far, and for that, we commend His Excellency and his administration. But one needs to be alive to save the lives of others, as one must be safe before he/she can care for others.

“We want the General Public to know that we are left with no other option as the troubling situation is not showing any sign of improvement. We have been calling for the provision of security in the hospitals for years. We are sure that the bad news of ransom demand on Mr. Mairuwa and other captives is all over social media in which N270m is being demanded for his release and another N270m for the other captives. Where on earth can his innocent family/relations get this kind of money when people are even struggling to put food on the table?

“How much is the salary of health workers in Katsina State to afford these unrealistic sums when many health professionals have to helplessly leave the service en mass on a daily basis for better remuneration elsewhere? How do you begin to imagine the level of his ordeal in captivity? What does the future hold for the family/children of Mr. Mairuwa, and that of the other captives? How do you convince anyone to stay in this kind of place and work? Let it be clear that as much as this decision is one of the most difficult we have ever made, as we have already made this huge sacrifice to serve you through healthcare delivery, we plead with you to reason and sympathise with our situation.

“While our Hazard allowance is just N5,000 monthly, we are receiving one of the lowest remunerations and inadequate welfare in Nigeria, amidst a chronic shortage of manpower with just about 1,000 Nurses/Midwives in the employment of one of the leading populated states, always struggling to cope with overwhelming care demands as health workers are leaving the service to seek better remunerations where obtainable. Please, bear with the inconveniences this may cause and help us prevail on this government to do the needful to save lives as the primary purpose of governance is security and welfare of citizens”, he noted further.

NANNM further highlighted their demands to include the immediate provision of 24/7 robust security in all the hospitals in the aforementioned areas.

“Immediate measures, whatever it takes, to ensure the safe release of Mr Mairuwa and other captives as he was abducted while serving the government.

“Immediate compensation to members who were subjected to one loss or the other due to this insecurity while on duty as mentioned above.

“Better remuneration to attract more health workers for better healthcare delivery.

We are therefore withdrawing our members from the aforementioned facilities effective from Thursday 30, January 2025 by midnight until the needful is done, “Nura Mu’azu added.