The Federal Workers Forum (FWF) has thrown its weight behind the ongoing strike by the Joint Health Sector Unions (JOHESU), warning that Nigeria is edging closer to a healthcare disaster due to the Federal Government’s “deliberate and insensitive neglect” of health workers’ welfare.
In a statement issued on Sunday, the forum endorsed the 14-day ultimatum issued by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) to the Federal Ministry of Health, describing the labour centres’ intervention as “long overdue.”
The statement, signed by Comrade Andrew Emelieze, National Coordinator of the FWF and former TUC Chairman in Oyo State, alongside Comrade Ogundele Ayo, General Secretary, said the protracted strike has exposed the government’s “cruel disregard for human lives.”
“The lingering and deliberate failure of the Federal Government to address the legitimate welfare demands of health sector workers is not only deeply painful but also demonstrates a callous indifference to the lives of ordinary Nigerians,” the statement read.
It added, “Every day, countless citizens lose their lives in public hospitals due to the government’s persistent neglect, policy inconsistencies, and deafening silence in the face of workers’
demands. Health workers are the backbone of any functional healthcare system. Ignoring their welfare transforms hospitals from centres of healing into centres of avoidable deaths.”
FWF warned that if the government fails to immediately engage with JOHESU and meet its demands, federal workers are prepared to join the strike and nationwide protests.
“We strongly call for a total and sustained shutdown of activities if necessary, as a means to compel the administration to act swiftly to rescue the collapsing health sector,” the statement said.
The forum further urged the NLC and TUC to mobilise civil society organisations to broaden nationwide action, adding, “No responsible government that truly values human lives would allow the health sector strike to persist this long.
The FWF had earlier called for solidarity protests in support of JOHESU, and we remain ready to escalate actions if government continues to be adamant.”
The JOHESU strike, now in its third week, has led to severe disruptions across public hospitals nationwide, with reports of patients being turned away or transferred to private facilities.
Health sector unions say the government has failed to implement agreed welfare packages, while authorities insist dialogue remains open but warned that strikes should not compromise essential healthcare delivery.
The ongoing stalemate underscores long-standing tensions between Nigerian health workers and the federal government over wages, working conditions, and chronic underfunding of the public health system.
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