The log jammed around the National Foods, Drugs Administration and Control (NAFDAC) headquarters on Oshodi/Apapa Expressway on Wednesday was due to nothing, but the protest of the workers’ of the agency, who paralysed all activities at the institution while pressing home their grievances.
Brandishing placards, some which reads: “President Buhari, give us Director General in NAFDAC”, “Impunity in NAFDAC must stop”, and the rest, the aggrieved workers notified the agency of their decision to embark on a two-week warning strike, seeking the immediate intervention of Mr President to end the rot in the institution.
Chairman of the Federal Area Council of the Federal Ministry of Health Workers Union, Lagos, Comrade Attah Ibrahim, has appealed to the Federal Government to intervene in the crisis.
He said: “NAFDAC is bleeding and bleeding seriously. And if nothing is done to address the suffering of workers, the consequences will be disastrous for the country.”
He listed workers’ plight as discrepancy in payment with workers of Federal Ministry of Health, non-promotion of workers since 2012, in addition to the absence of a NAFDAC board, and appointment of a substantive director general to replace Mrs. Yetunde Oni, who is acting.
“We expect these complaints to be addressed within two weeks of this warning strike, failing which we will embark on indefinite strike,” Ibrahim added.
Chairman, Lagos NAFDAC Workers Union Comrade Peter Anzaku said the role of NAFDAC in sanitizing the nation’s health made it expedient on the Federal Government to intervene.
“We have written several memos in vain to government since 2012 because of our quest for industrial harmony, hence this unavoidable strike,” Anzaku said.
