By Adeyinka Adeniran
Healthcare professionals across various public higher institutions in the country under the aegis of the Coalition of Healthcare Professionals in Tertiary Education Institutions in Nigeria (CHPTEIN) have threatened legal action against over 20 federal universities over the alleged exclusion of health workers from the Consolidated Non-Teaching Tools Allowance (CONTTA).
In a statement issued over the weekend, the coalition revealed that it had already served pre-action notices on 10 universities, while notices to other institutions, including the University of Ilorin (UNILORIN) and Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria, were currently in transit, with further notices being prepared for other affected institutions.
Speaking through the statement, the National Chairman of CHPTEIN, Comrade Musa Shehu, alleged that health workers, including doctors, nurses, medical laboratory scientists, and pharmacists, were systematically being excluded from CONTTA despite being financial, dues-paying members of both the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) and the Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU).
Institutions dragged into the dispute by the coalition include the University of Jos; Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto; University of Calabar; Federal University of Technology, Owerri; Federal University of Technology, Minna; Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka; Nigerian French Language Village, Badagry; Federal University, Dutsin-Ma; Bayero University, Kano; and Alex Ekwueme Federal University, Ndufu-Alike.
Others affected are Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria; University of Ilorin; David Umahi Federal University of Health Sciences; Alvan Ikoku Federal University of Education; Federal University, Wukari; Federal University, Oye-Ekiti; Joseph Sarwuan Tarka University, Makurdi; Federal University, Dutse; and Federal University, Gusau, Zamfara State.
Shehu explained that the affected medical personnel were being unfairly excluded under the guise of being employed under the Consolidated Health Salary Structure (CONHESS) and Consolidated Medical Salary Structure (CONMESS), rather than the Consolidated Tertiary Institutions Salary Structure (CONTISS) utilized by other non-teaching staff.
Describing the development as stark “career-cadre discrimination,” the CHPTEIN chairman pointed out that 13 other federal universities had seamlessly resolved the issue by mapping CONHESS and CONMESS grades to their CONTISS equivalents and consequently paying the allowance to their health workers.
The coalition identified the compliant institutions to include the University of Ibadan, Obafemi Awolowo University, Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University, Federal University Otuoke, Federal University Gashua, Adeyemi Federal University of Education, Federal University of Petroleum Resources, University of Port Harcourt, University of Abuja, Federal University Lokoja, Federal University of Medical and Health Sciences, Kwale, Nigerian Maritime University, and Federal University of Education, Zaria.
According to the group, the tertiary institutions facing impending litigation are required to comply with the demands within a 21-day window following the receipt of the pre-action notices.
CHPTEIN warned that failure by the university managements to comply would leave the affected healthcare workers with no option but to institute legal proceedings against them at the National Industrial Court of Nigeria (NICN).
It added that the planned court actions would seek mandatory injunctions, the immediate payment of all withheld arrears, accrued interest, general damages, and the full coverage of legal costs.
Furthermore, the coalition expressed deep disappointment in the national leaderships of SSANU and NASU, accusing them of failing to adequately represent and safeguard the interests of affected health workers, while revealing plans to initiate legal action against both unions as well.
It added that health personnel at the University of Jos and the University of Calabar had already staged peaceful demonstrations to register their grievances over the lingering exclusion.
Shehu maintained that the coalition’s legal offensive would persist until all affected universities sign legally binding settlement agreements and remit the full allowance due to eligible health workers.
