CONMESS: Professional Groups Decry Prospect Of Medical Services Withdrawal
BY UKANDI ODEY, JOS – Two medicare allied groups, Medical and Dental Consultants Association (MDCAN), and Medical and Dental Specialists Association in Basic Medical Sciences (MEDSABAMS), has expressed concern over the on-going withdrawal of services in Medical Schools in Nigeria’s South West universities over non migration of medical lecturers to the CONMESS salary structure.
The duo also expressed worry that up till now, no significant progress has been made in respect of the implementation of payment of Clinical Lecturers with the CONMESS salary structure by the Universities in the South West and Ilorin, contrary to what is obtained in other geo-political zones of the country.
The position of the two medical bodies was contained in a statement issued in Jos, and co-signed by Prof Mohammad Aminu and Prof AbdulGafar Jimoh as Presidents of MDCAN and MEDSABAMS respectively.
It will be recalled that clinical lecturers in all the tertiary institutions in the South West Zone of Nigeria have withdrawn their services since February 3, 2025, pending the full implementation of the CONMESS salary structure.
They also called on the Federal Government, the Minister of Education, and the National universities Commission (NUC) to prevail on the Vice Chancellors of the Southwest universities to intensify efforts to resolve this issue to avoid further disruption of the academic calendar.
According to the statement, the implications of the continuous strike by their members in the Southwest will lead to the disruption of the plans to add about 1000 doctors to the badly depleted staff doctors’ population, and the worsening doctor-patient ratio.
The medical bodies also noted that if not checked, the development will worsen disenchantment of medical students resulting in increased japa syndrome and inadequate personnel preparation for the next inevitable pandemic.
They also urged the Minister of Labour and Employment, the National Salaries Incomes and Wages Commission to expedite action to honour the resolutions reached with Federal Government on November 22, 2024, which included to migrate all medical lecturers to the CONMESS, adding that, this will solve all the issues around the emolument affecting the medical lecturers in Nigerian Universities and Medical Schools.
