For allegedly joining the ongoing strike by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), the Kaduna State Governor, Malam Nasir El-Rufai, on Tuesday announced the dismissal of all nurses below level 14.
In a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Media and Communication, Muyiwa Adekeye, said the Ministry of Health had been asked to advertise vacancies for the positions vacated by the sacked nurses.
He also asked all workers in ministries, departments and agencies to submit attendance registers to the Head of Service.
The governor threatened to dismiss any worker not found in his or her place of work.
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El-Rufai said, “KDSG (Kaduna State Government) acknowledges doctors and some other categories of health workers that are trying to run public health facilities, but regrets that some nurses have joined the unlawful strike and engaged in sabotage of some of our health facilities. Nurses were implicated in the forceful discharge of patients in many health facilities.
“Reports from Barau Dikko Teaching Hospital disclosed that some identified nurses disconnected the oxygen supply of a two-day old baby in an incubator on Monday, 17th May 2021.
“The names of the three nurses from the Special Baby Care Unit who were involved in this despicable act have been forwarded to the Ministry of Justice to initiate prosecution for attempted murder or murder in the event we lose the baby.”
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“Apart from referring the nurses involved to the Ministry of Justice to initiate prosecution, the government also announced the dismissal of all nurses below Grade Level 14 for the illegal strike.
“The Ministry of Health has been directed to advertise vacancies for the immediate recruitment of new nurses to replace those dismissed.
“The government has directed all its Ministries, Departments and Agencies to submit their attendance registers to the Head of Service while Kaduna State University should submit same to the Secretary to the State Government and the Commissioner of Education.”
Adekeye noted that salaries that could have been paid to the dismissed nurses will be given as extraordinary occupational allowances to the health workers who worked extra hours to fill the vacuum.
The NLC grounded Kaduna State on Monday when they commenced the five-day warning strike embarked upon to force the state government to reverse his decision to sack workers in the state.
