The Nigeria Medical Association (NMA) called on President Bola Tinubu on Sunday to take immediate emergency steps to combat flooding in the country before it wreaks havoc on households.
The President of the NMA, Uche Rowland Ojinmah, made this appeal while speaking to reporters in Owerri after their National Executive Council (NEC) meeting.
The NMA stated that a replay of the last flood incident in the country, in which homes and citizens were displaced, would be unacceptable. As a result, governments should begin implementing all steps immediately.
He said: “We thank President Bola Tinubu for their huge confidence in the medical profession by populating the Federal Executive Council (FEC), with medical professionals. We are certain these our ambassadors at the FEC will excel.
“We congratulate our colleagues. Especially, the minister of health Professor Ali Pate, and his minister of state for health. We call on other health professionals to sheath the swords because NMA, under my leadership is keen on building a progressive consensus for a better health sector.
“We call on the government to activate emergency preparedness against flooding. The rains have been heavy. The signs of flooding are visible. The state governments especially in the flood prone areas should be active.
“Disilt the drainages. Remove barricades from flood drains. We advise Nigerians living or close to low lands which are prone to floods to move to higher grounds while pleading government at all levels to assist these citizens in relocating.
“We need to make hay while the sun shines. So that we don’t tell the stories we were told last year this year again.
“While we thank the government of Nigeria for the recent upward review of our consolidated salaries medical structure. But we need to point out that the agreement that was implemented from the 1st of June, was finalized on the 25 of May 2023. Which preceded the fuel subsidy removal and attendant fuel subsidy escalation.
“NEC has directed her national officers to demand from the dear government a new demand for the upward review of her allowances. While waiting for the new minimum wage and consequential adjustment which we call on the government to implement seamlessly. We would not want to start arguing about that anymore.”
“The NEC quickly called on the government to reel out palliative for Nigerians with attendant inflation of food prices. We all know what things are like in our market today. We believe between June and September palliative should have been rolled out.
“We insist that palliative should go to Nigerians and not be stored in warehouses. Let it be targeted to reach the common man so that the common man will survive.
“NEC calls the on government to ramp up efforts in stamping out widespread insecurity as a panacea to economic recovery and medical brain drain. Insecurity is an issue we cannot deny it.
“NEC directs the NMA, Cross River state, to sustain the demand for the abduction of our colleague Ekanem Philip-Ephraim, and we call on the Cross River government to redouble her effort towards securing the release of our colleague that has been in captivity for more than one month now.
“We plead with the abductors to have mercy on that grandmother. We pray to God to bring her back safely in one piece,” NMA said.
