This is coming less than 24 hours after President Muhammadu Buhari had convinced Resident Doctors across the country to shield their sword over their threat to go on nation-wide strike.
Information reaching us indicated that the Minister and heads of parastatals and agencies in the health ministry are currently on collision course.
At the heart of the tension and anxiety rocking the ministry and its agencies is the decision by the minister and his team to implement a reform which will deny most of the heads of the parastatals an opportunity to run for a 4-year second term. In particular, the Minister is said to have begun implementing five-year non renewable 5-year tenure for heads of parastatals.
An insider hinted that unlike the universities where vice chancellors run a 5-year term, for government agencies where the tenure is not specified, there is a circular from the office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) that such agency heads should be in office for four years subject to renewal.
It was learnt that instead of complying with the SGF’s directive, the health minister has show his determination to disregard it even as he goes ahead to churn out his own measure that will affect heads of federal medical centres, Teaching Hospitals, regulatory bodies and specialist hospitals among others.
Many insiders complained that the new measure is already causing tension because, the policy has not been approved by the Federal government and that it does not reflect the OSGF’s circular approving such a 5-year single term for head of heal paratatals.
A concerned insider said that the ministry is simply implementing an unauthorized reform.
It was learnt that already, names of about 18 heads of parastatals whose tenure will expire this year have been compiled and the list is before the minister.
It was gathered that before now, any of these heads could apply for renewal of their tenure for another years, especially if they have nothing against them and they performed well.
“But we understand that anyone who applies for renewal of tenure is being told that because of the on-going reforms, nobody’s tenure is being renewed,” another insider said.
The minister and his supporters argue that this reform will end the crisis in the health sector even as other stakeholders have also said that tenure of heads of parastatals has not been a source of crisis, and that it is the disparity between salaries of doctors and other health workers that has fuelled crisis.
It was learn that the decision to implement the 5 year single tenure was taken at a meeting of the Top Management Committee of the Ministry of Health, chaired by the Minster and attended by doctors.
It was also alleged that some of the technical directors, most of who are doctors, have interests in position of Chief Medical Directors (CMDs) of some hospitals.
It was gathered that some health workers feel that this new measure is part of the gang up by doctors at the ministry against other health professionals even as the source noted that the minister, the permanent secretary and Minister of state who spearheaded the new reform are all doctors.
“We are not against reform, but if you want to adopt a new policy, you should allow the policy to be approved before you apply it,” a senior staff at the Ministry said.
He added: “each health institution has the law establishing it .The minister has no power to appoint heads of parastatals on his own. Governing councils are saddled with the responsibility of conducting interviews and making recommendations to the president through the minister for approval. But in the absence of a council, the minister oversees the process of appointment of CEOs and he sends the name of successful candidate to the President for approval.
“If a CEO’s term expires, he or she can apply for renewal. But now, they are saying due to the reform, there will be no more renewal. But there is no circular from the FG or office of SGF announcing any 5 year single term yet. Why are they trying to make a separate rule for the health sector?” [myad]
