Health Practitioners in Nigeria call on Government to suspend removal of fuel subsidy to prevent looming strike action

Africa (Nigeria): The National Association of Government General Medical and Dental Practitioners (NAGGMDP) has called on the Federal Government to urgently suspend the removal of fuel subsidies and revert to the old pump price of PMS to prevent disharmony in the various sectors of the economy.  The National President of the Association, Dr Sofiri Peterside Junior, and the secretary, Dr Enobong Akpan in a press statement issued after their meeting on Monday 5th June 2023, said members of the Association are in solidarity with the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) over the subsidy removal. The association in the statement described as hasty the subsidy removal, adding that the Federal Government should have set up a robust economic team that will establish cushioning measures to protect citizens before the subsidy removal announcement.

The National Association of Government General Medical and Dental Practitioners (NAGGMDP) in the press statement made some demands below

1: That Nigeria’s refineries should be revamped to functional capacity as soon as possible, and licenses should be given for the establishment of more refineries to encourage e local production of Petroleum products.

2: The Federal Government should institute measures to stop crude oil theft, secure our borders and stop leakages within the oil and gas sector.

3:  There should be a committee set up by the Federal Government to audit the subsidy regime since its inception and the use of funds recurrently allocated fo the r repair of our refineries and that the culprits brought to book.

4: There can s an urgent need for the Federal government to strengthen healthcare financing by ensuring at least 15% budgetary allocation to the health sector. There is also o need to achieve universal health coverage through primary healthcare and National/State health insurance schemes across the country to reduce out-of-pocket expenses and guarantee accessible and affordable healthcare.

5:. The Federal Government should set up a robust economic team that will establish cushioning measures to protect citizens when the subsidy is eventually removed. Priority should be given to measures aimed at addressing the widespread hunger and poverty in the country. They should also bring on board palliative measures s mitigate the impact of the eventual subsidy removal on citizens, especially those on low incomes.

6: That the Federal Government, in the spirit of patriotism and sacrifice, should take measures to cut down the cost of governance by the Executive and the National Assembly, reduce borrowing, and channel such funds s other critical sectors of the economy, including g minimum wage increase.

7: The President Bola Ahmed Tinubu-led administration should demonstrate empathy to the citizens of this country, by doing what is necessary to alleviate the sufferings of the Nigerian people.