The Federal Government has said that resident doctors who were not paid were only those illegally recruited by Chief Medical Directors, CMDs, without necessary approval.
The Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige, who stated this when he received chairman of the Federal Character Commission, FCC, Dr Muheeba Dankaka, and other federal commissioners who paid him a courtesy visit in his office, also expressed concern over the disparity in payment of foreign doctors by some states, warning that such preferential treatment does not encourage national unity and loyalty.
“You people know the mandate for recruitment. The Federal Ministry involved will give approval. The office of the Head of Service of the Federation will give approval. Budget Office will give approval. These three approvals come to you in Federal Character Commission for final approval and issuing of compliance letter. But in the case of these resident doctors, their letters were issued without any of these approvals.
“The CMDs who did that said they thought they could pay them through Government Integrated Financial Management Information System, GFMIS, platform, an ad hoc platform used for sundry expenses. Personnel costs have been removed from GFMIS. That is the problem. ”Every payment for personnel costs is done under Integrated Personal and Payroll Information System, IPPIS. But, now a waiver has been given. It will come to you in the FCC to give compliance certificate.
Ngige disclosed that the request for compliance letter would be sent to the FCC by the Federal Ministry of Health before the end of the week and urged the commission to give the request expeditious attention.
On preferential treatment of foreign doctors by states, Ngige said some states in Nigeria employ foreign doctors and pay them five times higher than they pay their Nigerian counterparts.
He charged the FCC to use its constitutional mandate to promote national unity and loyalty, rather than concentrate efforts only on the public sector, especially in job recruitment.
He also appealed to the commission to ensure equitable distribution of amenities, infrastructure and social services in the country.
