The NAFDAC branch of the Medical and Health Workers Union of Nigeria (MHWUN) has vowed to persist with their ongoing strike until their demands are met. The strike, which began on October 7, centers on calls for a review of the 2024 promotion examinations and the payment of arrears and statutory benefits to employees hired in 2022.
Adetoboye Ayodeji, chairman of the Kaduna chapter, emphasized on Saturday that it was now up to the management of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) to engage in meaningful negotiations. He underscored the importance of “actionable evidence” that their grievances would be addressed.
The union has voiced its frustration over delays in fulfilling agreements made with the government and NAFDAC in 2022. These agreements were meant to improve the workers’ conditions of service but remain unimplemented. “Allowances that were due by December 2022 are still pending, and the conditions of service are yet to be approved,” Ayodeji noted.
He explained that despite numerous letters sent to NAFDAC’s management outlining these issues, the responses have been inadequate. In 2024, the agency conducted promotion exams, yet many of the staff who passed were not promoted. According to Ayodeji, the management claimed there were no vacancies.
However, he alleged that while the management was hiring external candidates for positions, it refused to promote internal staff who had earned their way up. “Out of over 700 employees who sat for the promotion exams, fewer than 220 were promoted. Only 36% of participants were promoted. We cannot accept this. At least 80% of those who took part should be promoted,” he demanded.
Ayodeji expressed his dissatisfaction with the process, pointing out that such a low promotion rate would demoralize staff and negatively impact their performance. “How can an agency thrive when only 36% of its employees are promoted? This is bound to affect morale and ultimately the health of 200 million Nigerians,” he added.
The strike also stems from long-standing issues regarding allowances in staff salaries, which have persisted for over two decades. Despite several notices and a two-week ultimatum given to NAFDAC before the strike, no resolution or explanation was provided.
In response to the strike, NAFDAC’s Director-General, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, released a statement on Monday, denying all the union’s allegations. She insisted that the agency has been following due process regarding the payment of arrears and estacodes and reaffirmed the agency’s commitment to workers’ welfare.
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