The Joint Health Sector Union (JOHESU) has asked Nigerians to direct their anger at the Federal Government, not health workers, over the growing hardship caused by the ongoing strike in public hospitals across the country.
The union insists that its action remains unavoidable, as the government has failed to implement its one-point demand: the adjustment of the Consolidated Health Salary Structure (CONHESS) for health workers.
Speaking on the strike, JOHESU National Secretary Martin Egbanubi said the union fully understands the pain Nigerians face due to limited access to public healthcare. However, he stressed that responsibility lies squarely with the government.
“Nigerian citizens should not hold us responsible. The government should be responsible because it must do the needful to prevent this kind of strike,” Egbanubi said.
Egbanubi explained that JOHESU members also suffer from the effects of the strike. According to him, health workers are not immune to the same economic and medical challenges facing ordinary Nigerians.
He revealed that the union has already recorded casualties during the industrial action.
“We truly empathise with the masses who depend on public hospitals. But our members are also part of this country’s masses,” he said.
“As of last week, we lost one of our members at the University of Uyo Teaching Hospital.”
The union described the loss as painful and avoidable, stressing that prolonged government inaction continues to endanger both patients and health workers.
Despite the tension, JOHESU said it remains open to dialogue and has no interest in prolonging the strike.
Egbanubi urged well-meaning Nigerians, civil society groups, and stakeholders to appeal to the Federal Government to urgently meet the union’s demand.
“We are not deriving any pleasure from this strike. It is difficult for us. It comes with serious logistical challenges,” he said.
“If the government addresses this one-point demand, we are ready to suspend the strike immediately.”
The union also expressed frustration over what it described as unfulfilled commitments by the government.
According to Egbanubi, JOHESU suspended a previous strike in June 2023 after President Bola Tinubu intervened and promised to direct the relevant ministries and agencies to resolve the salary issue.
More than a year later, the union said nothing has changed.
“We have written to Mr. President to remind him of the engagement on June 5, 2023,” Egbanubi said.
“Unfortunately, the issue remains unresolved.”
JOHESU declared an indefinite strike in November 2025, warning that it would continue until the government implements the adjusted CONHESS.
Earlier, the National Chairman of the Medical and Health Workers Union, Kabiru Minjibri, said the action would severely disrupt medical services and academic activities in teaching hospitals nationwide.
According to him, the government made no serious effort to reach an agreement, despite several ultimatums issued by the union.
The strike gained further momentum last week after the Trade Union Congress (TUC) openly backed JOHESU.
The TUC rejected a circular from the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare that directed the enforcement of a “No Work, No Pay” policy and the stoppage of workers’ salaries through the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS) from January 2026.
In a joint statement, TUC President Festus Osifo and Secretary-General N. A. Toro described the move as unacceptable and provocative.
They accused the government of attempting to intimidate health workers without considering Nigeria’s harsh economic conditions.
The congress also warned that the directive undermines ongoing negotiations and violates established industrial relations principles.
As the strike drags on, public hospitals remain largely shut, leaving millions of Nigerians—especially the poor—without access to affordable medical care.
While health workers insist their demand is modest and clear, the government’s silence continues to deepen the crisis.
For now, patients wait. Health workers protest. And Nigeria’s fragile health system remains caught in the middle.
