The Nasarawa State House of Assembly, Tuesday, urged the state government to initiate special scholarships for the indigenous medical and other science-related courses students in order to boost the health sector in the state.
Speaker of the House, Rt. Hon. Ibrahim Balarabe Abdullahi made the call after Hon. Usman Labaran Shafa (APC Toto/Gadabuke), the chairman, House Committee on Health raised the issue under matters of public interest during the House proceedings in Lafia.
The speaker said it would boost the capacity of the state indigenous doctors, pharmacists, and other health professionals who will have the health interest of the people at heart, and help in addressing a lot of problems associated with health workers strike.
“Not like the non-indigenes doctors and other health professionals who always embark on strike without due considerations.”
He urged the state government to be courageous enough to arrange for special scholarships for indigenous medical students studying in different universities.
“When I heard about the health workers strike by the state and local government workers, I immediately directed the house committees on health and local government respectively to intervene and resolve all their differences amicably.
“The health workers at the local government level suspended their strike by reasoning with us as most of them are our indigenes while those at the state level refused to suspend their strike despite the house intervention. Our fathers the traditional rulers also intervened and the state government through the deputy governor who is their colleague also spoke to them several on the matter but they refused. I was surprised even with the threat of Coronavirus (COVID-19).
“I am not saying that doctors and other health workers should not be giving what belongs to them or that they should not pursue their rights, no. I am saying that they should be considerate and have human feelings as they took an oath to protect lives, and strike should be the last option, not the first option.”
The speaker, however, directed the clerk to communicate the House resolution to governor Abdullahi Sule for his action.
Earlier, Shafa while moving the movement appealed to his colleagues to support it to enable the state government to train indigenes in medicine and other science-related courses for long-run benefit.
Hon. Daniel Oga Ogazi, the House deputy leader seconded the motion.