The National Association of Hospital and Administrative Pharmacists of Nigeria (AHAPN) expressed its displeasure at the Federal Government’s exclusion of pharmacists from the implementation of the country’s recent increase in the pay of federal civil servants, calling it discriminatory and unacceptable.
Dr. Chris Ngige, the country’s Minister of Labor and Employment, previously said that the Federal Government has approved raising the pay for the nation’s civil servants, which will begin to take effect on January 1, 2023. Due to the current economic climate, government employees needed a salary increase known as a unique allowance to assist them cope with the effects of growing inflation, the cost of living, and increases in transportation, housing, and power prices.
The group of pharmacists claimed that nationwide, despite its and other health workers’ attempts to obtain wage increases over the years with collective bargaining agreements reached in the majority of cases, they had not yet experienced any raise in pay since 2010.
Olabode Ogunjemiyo, the national chairman of the AHAPN, issued a statement yesterday in which he made seven demands of the federal government, including inclusion without further delay in the 40% pay rise and payment of arrears with immediate effect; immediate implementation of the Pharmacists Consultancy Cadre to relevant consultants; payment of relativity arrears for pharmacists outstanding since 2014; adjustment of Consolidated Health Salary Structure (CONHESS) to meet current
All government employees, in Ogunjemiyo’s opinion, are subject to the same economic realities of the present. “We shop at the same market, get the same PMS and diesel, and pay the same tuition for our kids’ schools. Therefore, it is unfair to exclude pharmacists from the 40% wage increase.
