•Kano Governor Abba Yusuf
Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf has appealed to the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) to suspend its strike action and avoid putting lives of over 20 million Kano residents at risk.
It was earlier reported that Governor Yusuf had set up an investigative panel on the alleged assault by the state Commissioner for Humanitarian Affairs, Amina Abdullahi, on a female doctor on Monday at Murtala Muhammed Specialists Hospital.
The NMA had issued 48 days ultimatum to the state government to sack the humanitarian commissioner, and vowed to down tool, if the government failed to yield to its demand, reports Daily Trust.
However, the governor, who reacted to the development during a joint live broadcast held with selected radio journalists at the Government House, expressed disappointment over the decision of the NMA after a misunderstanding between two female adults.
The governor stressed that the association could have allowed the investigative panel to probe the incident and take decisive action, rather than shut down services and abandoned innocent residents seeking medical assistance.
“I know how many industrial actions planned by NMA that were subsequently shelved because of the mutual relationship between the doctors and the Kano State Government. The NMA knows how important the government values the welfare of doctors.
“When the issue was reported to me, I immediately set up a committee to investigate and report back to me in 48 hours. As I sit here, the report is already on my table and I am going to act on this immediately.
“And, if they now felt nobody can talk to them and they cannot wait for the report and the next action is strike, they can’t afford to put the lives of 20 million innocent residents at risk because of a fight between two females,” Yusuf said.
The governor, who eventually apologised on behalf of the government over the incident, urged the medical officials to call off the strike in the interest of pregnant women waiting for delivery at the hospital.
He insisted that any government official found guilty of wrong doing would not be spared.
