We Have Not Been Paid Salaries For 13 Months Running,3,600 Midwives Take Protest To Senate

Over 3,600 Midwives have taken to the streets in Abuja, complaining that they have not been paid their salaries and allowances for the past 13 months by their employer, the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA).
The Midwives, through their association: Midwives Service Scheme Association (MSSA), today, took the protest to the Senate during which time they presented a letter, addressed to the Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki.
In the letter, the association lamented that over 3,600 Midwives employed by the National Primary Health Care Development Agency headed by Dr Ado Mohammed, who were earlier deployed across the 36 States of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja have not been paid by the agency in the last 13 months.
The Association wondered why the scheme which was funded by the MDAS, DRA with the aim of achieving MDGS 4 & 5 and managed by the National Primary Healthcare Development Agency could owe them for this long even when the Association heard on good authority that funds were being released as at when due by previous government of Goodluck Ebele Jonathan.
The association said in the letter: “major problem confronting the scheme at present is mainly the non payment of 13 months allowance and all efforts to get authorities concern, including the Federal Ministry of Health have not yielded result.”
The letter, which was signed by the association’s National President, Agnes Odeh, alleged that in the course of agitation for payment of their allowances, particularly on April 26th 2015, the Association declined an invitation for a meeting through a text message on the inclination that the Director of NPHDA, Dr. Ado had concluded plans to bribe executives of the association for a soft landing while promising that the allowances would be paid if budget for 2015 was passed into law.
“Based on the resolution of our members, we declined from honouring the invitation on the basis that they may want to induce us. However, to our utmost surprise, 4 delegation from the Ministry pleaded that we should meet them in a Hotel opposite Gwagwalada Specialist Hospital, Abuja in which all our members were present.”
The Association explained that a truce which was reached and a communique issued on 26th April 2015 was flagrantly disobeyed by the agency through the machination of the Permanent Secretary, Mr. Linus Awute. [myad]