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<p>By Yusuf Danjuma Yunusa</p><div class="Jnx0oIgM" style="clear:both;float:left;width:100%;margin:0 0 20px 0;"><script async src="https://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/js/adsbygoogle.js"></script>

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<p>The Federal Government has mandated the immediate implementation of the &#8220;No Work, No Pay&#8221; policy against striking members of the Joint Health Sector Unions and Assembly of Health Care Professionals (JOHESU).</p>
<p>The directive was issued via a circular from the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare (FMoHSW) on Saturday.</p>
<p>Addressed to Chief Medical Directors and Medical Directors of all federal health institutions, the circular was signed by Dr. Disu Adejoke, Director of Hospital Services, on behalf of the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare. The order is a direct response to the ongoing JOHESU industrial action, which began on November 14, 2025.</p><div class="zagk6MhX" style="clear:both;float:left;width:100%;margin:0 0 20px 0;"><script async src="https://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/js/adsbygoogle.js"></script>

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<p>Effective January 2026, the policy will apply to all participating JOHESU members and any other staff who join the strike. Hospital managements have been instructed to ensure strict compliance with the policy.</p>
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<p>While enforcing the sanction, the Ministry directed health institutions to maintain critical services—including accident and emergency care, labour wards, and intensive care units—using all lawful means. This may include hiring temporary locum staff. The circular explicitly states that staff willing to work must be allowed to do so “without hindrance or intimidation.”</p>
<p>Hospital authorities are also tasked with ensuring security within their facilities and providing regular updates to the Ministry on the strike’s impact on healthcare delivery. The government reaffirmed its commitment to preserving essential health services nationwide despite the industrial action.</p>
<p>Expert Warns of Systemic Risks</p>
<p>In a related interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), Abuja-based public health expert Dr. Gabriel Adakole described the government’s move as a legally justified measure to end the strike. However, he highlighted serious implications for Nigeria’s already strained health system.</p>
<p>“JOHESU members—including nurses, pharmacists, laboratory scientists, and allied health professionals—are essential to hospital operations. Their absence critically weakens service delivery, even where emergency units remain open,” Adakole stated.</p>
<p>He cautioned that relying on emergency-only care and locum staff cannot replace full multidisciplinary services, which raises risks to patient safety and treatment outcomes. The policy, he added, could exacerbate financial hardship for health workers, further demoralize the workforce, and accelerate the ongoing exodus of medical professionals from Nigeria.</p>
<p>“Ultimately, patients bear the greatest cost through delayed treatments and reduced access to care,” Adakole emphasized.</p>
<p>While acknowledging that the “No Work, No Pay” policy may compel a quicker resolution, he stressed that lasting stability in the health sector requires meaningful dialogue, trust-building, and sustained investment in both health workers and infrastructure.</p>
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