The Joint Health Sector Union (JOHESU) has asked Nigerians to hold the Federal Government accountable for the hardship being experienced across public health facilities due to the ongoing strike by its members.
The union said the industrial action is the result of the government’s failure to implement its long-standing demand for the adjustment of the Consolidated Health Salary Structure (CONHESS), which remains unresolved despite several engagements with authorities.
Speaking on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief on Monday, JOHESU National Secretary, Martin Egbanubi, said the union was fully aware of the suffering caused by the strike but insisted that responsibility rests with the government.
Egbanubi stated that health workers did not embark on the strike for personal gain, adding that the action had also taken a toll on union members, including reported casualties within the workforce.
He disclosed that a member of the union recently died at the University of Uyo Teaching Hospital.
He appealed to Nigerians, particularly those affected by the disruption of public healthcare services, to prevail on the Federal Government to address the union’s demand, stressing that the strike could be suspended immediately once the issue is resolved.
According to him, JOHESU had engaged the government repeatedly and even suspended a previous strike in June 2023 following assurances by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu that relevant ministries, departments and agencies would be directed to act.
He noted that despite reminders and formal communication to the President, no concrete action has been taken.
The union recalled that it declared an indefinite strike in November 2025 after a series of ultimatums expired without a meaningful response from the government.
JOHESU said the failure to implement the agreed salary adjustment left health workers with no option but to resume industrial action.
Meanwhile, the Trade Union Congress (TUC) has thrown its weight behind the striking health workers, condemning the Federal Government’s decision to enforce a “No Work, No Pay” policy and halt the salaries of union members through the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS).
The TUC described the move as an attempt to intimidate health workers and warned that it undermines ongoing negotiations.
The congress accused the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare of acting unilaterally and disregarding established industrial relations principles.
As the strike continues, public hospitals across the country remain largely shut, leaving many Nigerians, especially those unable to afford private healthcare, without access to essential medical services.
