The Minister of State for Environment, Iziaq Kunle Salako, on Friday, assured Nigerians that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is tougher and resolute to win the war against the current economic hardship being experienced in the country.
Salako said this is evidenced by the President’s determination to improve power generation, transmission, and distribution, as well as ramp up infrastructure, promote access to capital, eliminate multiple taxation, and diversify the economy, ostensibly to turn the fortunes of the nation around for the better.
The minister disclosed this during his paper presentation titled, “Building a Resilient Workforce: Embracing climate-centric innovations” at the 44th Annual General Meeting and Scientific Conference of the National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital.
Salako, who noted that Tinubu is not ignorant of the pains of Nigerians, expressed confidence that the President would take the country out of the current situation with the support of the people.
“The President is determined to significantly improve power generation, transmission, and distribution, massively ramp up infrastructure, promote access to capital, eliminate multiple taxation, diversify the economy, and encourage value addition and export.
“The whole idea is to increase local production, without which our economy cannot be turned around. I want to assure this gathering today that President Tinubu is committed, he is capable, and with the support of Nigerians, he will turn around the fortunes of our country for the better,” he said.
The Minister also expressed concern over the frequent strike phenomenon in the healthcare system, warning that it threatens the resilience of the health sector to respond.
Salako, himself a physician, challenged the health workers to do a reappraisal about incessant strikes as a tool for fighting their cause, saying it is becoming unpopular and alienating doctors and other health professionals from the people.
He noted that the power of a strike lies in public sympathy and said once the populace started to see strikes as routine and one of those things, it meant something should be done about it immediately.
He also identified the “japa syndrome” as another social factor hurting the resilience of the nation’s health system, advising that health workers should be patriotic and not turn their backs on their country.
He said, “Let me briefly address two key issues that normally do not receive attention when talking about healthcare system resilience. These are industrial harmony and job satisfaction cum workforce retention. Clearly, a healthcare system that frequently suffers strikes and industrial disharmony cannot be regarded as resilient.
“Similarly, when the system is unable to retain well-trained staff for a reasonable length of time, its resilience becomes challenged. I wish to recognize that governments and hospital management are not free of blame in the scenario of frequent strikes being witnessed in our health system.
“However, as leaders of the healthcare sector, we need to also recognize that frequent strikes in the sector are alienating doctors and other healthcare professionals from the people.
“The public is gradually becoming insensitive and unconcerned when we go on strike. The power of strike lies in public sympathy, and once the populace starts to see our strikes as routine and one of those things, we need to go back and rethink our strategies by ensuring strict compliance with a standard of minimum service even during strikes.
“While I recognize that it is our fundamental right to seek happiness and job satisfaction anywhere in the world where we can find it, I must appeal to our sense of patriotism to stay and join hands in building the country that has invested a lot in most of us.
“We should not be turning our backs on the country. Times are tough, no doubt, but let me assure you all that the Federal Government of Nigeria, under the leadership of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, is tougher and resolute to win the war against the hard times and bring back the good old days of economic prosperity.”
Earlier, the National President of NARD, Dele Abdullahi, described resident doctors as the backbone of the healthcare system.
Abdullahi said the doctors remained committed to their job and the nation, urging the government—state and federal—to improve their paychecks, other conditions of service, and to give them a voice to contribute their quota to nation-building.
