Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke
- says no plan to provatise hospital, sack workers
By John Dike, Osogbo
Osun State Government has appealed to the leadership of the Joint Health Sector Union (JOHESU) and the Nationa Association of Nigerian Nurses and Midwives (NANNM) at the UNIOSUN Teaching Hospital, Osogbo, to shelve any planned industrial action over the proposed Public-Private Partnership (PPP) arrangement for laboratory services.
It said the proposed arrangement aimed at strengthening the capacity of the teaching hospital, improving healthcare delivery and ensuring better services for residents, stressing that it was not a plan to privatise the hospital or displace existing workers.
The Special Adviser to Governor Ademola Adeleke on Public Health, Dr Akindele Adekunle, made the appeal in a statement on Saturday, assuring the unions that no worker would lose his or her job, position or employment status because of the proposed PPP arrangement.
According to him, the initiative is expected to bring modern equipment to the hospital, improve the availability of reagents and other consumables, create opportunities for professional training and development, and enhance the quality and efficiency of healthcare delivery.
Adekunle urged the unions to embrace dialogue, noting that the hospital management and its Governing Board had demonstrated willingness to engage the workers and address their concerns even though discussions with prospective partners were still ongoing.
He said it would therefore be premature and unnecessary for the unions to resort to industrial action when no final agreement on the PPP had been concluded
“The fact that the Management is convening meetings with the unions, even when discussions with the prospective partners are still ongoing and no final agreement has been signed, is a clear demonstration that the Osun State Government values its workers and considers them important stakeholders in this reform.
“We appeal to our highly respected health workers not to shut down a hospital that exists principally to save lives.
“Industrial action in the health sector does not hurt government alone; it directly affects patients, particularly the poor and vulnerable who depend on public healthcare facilities,” he said.
The Special Adviser maintained that the Adeleke administration had consistently prioritised the welfare of health workers and other public servants, insisting that the government would not sacrifice workers’ legitimate interests in the course of implementing reforms.
He said Governor Ademola Adeleke had demonstrated commitment to protecting workers’ welfare and would not trade their interests for political considerations or convenience.
“His Excellency, Senator Ademola Jackson Nurudeen Adeleke, has consistently placed the welfare of workers and the wellbeing of our people above political considerations.
“He has never traded away the interests of health workers for political convenience, and this situation will not be an exception.
“The Governor’s position is clear: reforms must improve the system, workers must be protected, and the people must receive better services. These three objectives are not mutually exclusive, and the proposed PPP is designed to achieve precisely that,” Adekunle stated.
He explained that the state government was exploring innovative and sustainable approaches to healthcare financing and service delivery because of the financial pressures confronting the state.
Adekunle said government could not afford to allow financial constraints to cripple critical public institutions, particularly the health sector, which he described as too important to be allowed to suffer from funding challenges.
He also noted that PPP arrangements were not new to Nigeria’s health sector, adding that similar models had been adopted by leading teaching hospitals as part of efforts to improve healthcare services.
“The PPP is not about taking the hospital away from government or taking jobs away from workers. It is about bringing additional capacity, investment, technology and efficiency into a system that must continually evolve to meet the needs of our people.
“It is therefore a win-win arrangement. It is best for the workers, best for the hospital, best for government and, above all, best for the people of Osun State,” he said.
Adekunle called on JOHESU and NANNM to return to the negotiating table and use the ongoing engagements to ventilate their grievances and seek clarification on areas of concern rather than shutting down services.
He assured residents that the state government would continue to protect the legitimate interests of workers while pursuing reforms considered necessary to guarantee accessible, affordable, quality and uninterrupted healthcare delivery.
“The Government will not compromise workers’ welfare, and it will not compromise the welfare of our people.
“We can achieve both through sincere engagement and ultimately enhance healthcare delivery for our people above all else,” the Special Adviser stated.
