The Governor of Kaduna state, Nasir El-Rufai, has threatened to sack any health care worker that embarks on strike action.

The doctors demanded that Kaduna state government honour an agreement on salary adjustments, among other matters. They threatened to embark on a strike if the government fails to cooperate.

To that effect, the Governor released a statement saying it rejects the strike threats.

“The government rejects the strike threat and will regard persons who fail to show up at their assigned places of work as having forfeited their employment,” El-Rufai said in a statement signed by his spokesperson, Muyiwa Adekeye.

“Every health worker that is willing to work is required to sign the register at the Ministry of Health and the health institutions to which they are deployed.

“The ministry of health has the mandate of the government to ensure that residents of Kaduna state are not deprived of public health services.

“Every effort will be made to ensure that health facilities keep functioning, staffed by willing workers who will be guaranteed free and safe access to health facilities.”

“Those who are not willing to work are strongly warned against criminal actions such as attempts to impede access to workplaces, harass willing workers or to sabotage facilities and equipment.

“The consequences of concessions made along such lines by previous governments have created a sense that some public servants are more precious than others,” he added.

It remains to be seen how the health care workers respond to the governor’s threat.

In the face of the COVID-19 pandemic ravaging the world, the services of healthcare workers are highly important.