Governor Masari Was Right About Medical Workers Salaries - Maiwada Dammallam

      Governor Masari

Of all the responses I read about the faulty allegation claiming Governor Masari is planning to review salaries of medical/health workers, the one I found most absurd or even irresponsible was one by a certain Mohammed Umar Babangida. This was not because his submission was any different or more qualitative than those  expressed before. No! There were some opinions that expressed stronger anger on the issue more than he did but in a very respectful and in richly intellectual manner indicative of a serious desire to find workable solutions. 

For those with reasonable understanding of protocols of governance, allegations of Governor Masari planning to slash salaries of any worker wouldn't be anything but pedestrian expression of interest to participate in governance without first learning how government works. Even to a sleeping novice it should have been clear that Governor Masari's speech was understood disjointedly and went on to be recycled entirely out of its context. There was nothing in the entirety of the statement to indicate or express intent to use "executive fiat" to slash wages of workers from any sector of the traumatised economy of Katsina State, much less the health sector that is Governor Masari's second topmost priority, at least not in the twisted sense it's being propagated. It doesn't make sense for someone about to start patronizing public hospitals to start a war with medical/health workers. 

Despite Babangida's rude and disrespectful description of Governor Masari in uncharitable terms, certainly I don't think he truly believe the Governor will make the existing poor healthcare services a problem he intend to solve by making healthcare workers less happier than he met them. If Babangida really built his conclusions on this shallow and irritatingly myopic assumption then certainly we have a much bigger problem to deal with before joining hands with Governor Masari to straighten things up, the need to start educating our over exuberant "activists without borders" to imbibe the culture of respect, decorum and a sense of responsibility to help them play their part in the important project of building a new functional society. No matter how good minded and sincere the Governor may be, his strength is heavily rested on the support, trust and appreciation of the public including the negatively energetic cyber soldiers that react on impulse sometimes without even knowing the subject at stake. 

Now to the issue at stake. I will skip giving the background of the physically dilapidated, functionally comatose health sector as inherited by Governor Masari, not even "online tourists" to the State like the abusive young man could deny the embarrassing low penetration and affordability of healthcare services in the State as inherited by Governor Masari. A situation where medical tourism could lead Katsinawa to destinations like Maradi in Niger Republic should be worrisome to any reasonable person and also be seen as a problem that requires multi dimensional approach. Most importantly, we will only be playing the silly proverbial ostrich by denying that provision of quality healthcare service is no child's play even to developed economies hence, to debate its solutions without considering all the variables down to the tiniest will simply lead nowhere but to the same "go to Maradi to cure your cold" embarrassing destination.  

With a promise to run an all inclusive and open government, Governor Masari only put his words into action by indicating his desire to open discussions with Labour Unions to find a solution to the seemingly insurmountable healthcare problems. This may include reviewing existing agreements to accommodate new problems, ensuring strict adherence to existing agreements most of which are being abused with the attendant consequences of increasing unnecessary and avoidable financial burden on the Government. The idea is to block leakages and deploy whatever may be saved into enhancing the existing system. Governor Masari did not intend to do this by executive fiat but by engaging stakeholders to deliberate on all available options alongside realistic financial status of the State. How that constituted downward review of medical workers salaries remain something to be explained by those maliciously accusing the Governor of that intention.  

Unless Governor Masari's suggestion to invite retired Doctors and co-opt them back into service on negotiable terms as a short term plan to the precarious situation is what's being misunderstood as "plan to slash health workers salaries" then, certainly he don't deserve the distractive heat being generated unnecessarily. Perhaps, the only other thing that may induce similar misunderstanding was Governor Masari's response to a delegation of "Casual Workers" he gave audience when they came to him to protest their inhuman condition of service. 

In his response, he assured them that Government will exploit all options available to ease their problem by doing what is doable. He mentioned that to achieve minimum UN standard of healthcare delivery Katsina State requires thrice the present health sector manpower servicing the State with unacceptable situations where some nurses are managing 2 wards with about 50 patients in a certain hospital. He also cited example of generous allowances tailored to encourage selfless service among health workers but are now being paid even non deserving workers in the sector therefore over stretching the lean finances of the State in such a manner that to regularise the appointment of "Casual Workers", it requires careful planning and strict observance of how things are being done in the sector to plug leakages and use what may accrue to accommodate the demands of the Casual Workers and the ever rising demands of the sector. 

While lamenting shortages of qualified Consultants/doctors and nurses Governor Masari gave some snippets about the ways he intend to solve the problems. During his campaigning days, he set up a Health Committee and charged them with the responsibility of digging for solutions that will help improve the health sector. The Committee chaired by Dr. Labaran Doro had other retired and serving doctors. They advised that since there are doctors in Katsina State that are retired but not tired who could be re-absorbed as a short term plan to fill the deficits in the sector, why not invite them back. To be guided, the then yet to be elected Masari in his meticulous nature demanded for remuneration package of medical workers to be used to take decision. It was provided to him by the Committee:

CONMESS (MEDICAL OFFICERS)

01/1 - N173,927. 33

02/2 - N219,120. 17

03/5 - N274,883. 33

04/3 - N304,235. 50

05/9 - N444,311. 58

06/7 - N502,657. 92

07/3 - N740,057. 93

CONMESS (CONSULTANTS)

03/6 - N331,667. 42

04/9 - N392,672. 58

05/5 - N534,053. 92

06/6 - N636,298. 59

07/9 - N838,652. 51

(this could be verified any working day in Katsina State Ministry of Health or Health Services Management Board)

The package was debated and Governor Masari suggested that any interested retired Consultant could be absorbed but certainly the State cannot afford the maximum figure of N838,652.51 on which a Consultant on GL17/9 was placed on the table and on which assumably most of them retired from service hence, he suggested, anybody among these retired Consultants that's interested in contributing his quota to help revive health services in the State will be engaged on negotiated figures. He even suggested N500,000. Now, going by the table above what's wrong with Governor Masari's claim that some doctors earn as much as N850,000? Is it no longer allowed to arithmetically round up figures to the nearest zero for ease and convenience of communication especially when making public speeches? 

This is the position mischievously twisted to reflect a diabolic agenda by Masari to slash salaries of medical Doctors. What is Governor Masari's fault in trying to find a collective solution to a collective problem? His idea is simply to involve all stakeholders in the process of finding a long term not a short term solution. Perhaps, owing to the previous jack boot system of the PDP which result is the pervading rot in the inherited system, many people are yet to understand the concept of "participatory Government" where everybody have a stake and a say. In line with his open door policy, Governor Masari plan to bring to the stakeholders' table Katsina State's revenue profile alongside public expectations on Capital/Recurrent budgetary plans for the State for the two sides to deliberate and find a workable way out of the frightening situation. Even to an incurable cynic, this shouldn't provoke as much misunderstanding as being peddled. 

Maiwada Dammallam

Snr. Special Assistant (New Media)

to the Governor