OAUTH: Clinical Lecturers to Begin Indefinite Strike Over Unpaid CONMESS Salaries

Clinical lecturers at Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospital (OAUTH), Ile-Ife, will begin an indefinite strike on Monday, 3 February 2025. The decision follows a directive from the Medical and Dental Consultants Association of Nigeria (MDCAN) South-West zone.

The association said the action became necessary after Vice-Chancellors of three regional federal universities failed to place clinical lecturers on the Consolidated Medical Salary Scale (CONMESS). This salary structure is already in place in some medical colleges across Nigeria. The Nigerian Medical Association Chairman, Dr Saheed, of the Lagos State Branch, recently raised the same concern. He said the Lagos State Government’s failure to implement the Reviewed CONMESS was worsening brain drain.

In a statement signed by MDCAN OAU Chairman Dr Olufemi Ogundipe and General Secretary Dr Tajudin Adetunji, the union said the strike follows a 21-day ultimatum issued to the affected Vice-Chancellors. It added that all academic activities involving clinical lecturers at OAU’s College of Health Sciences would be suspended.

We can no longer tolerate the huge disparity in emoluments and years of income loss due to the non-implementation of CONMESS. We demand immediate payment to save the future of medical education in this institution, the statement read.

The strike may disrupt final-year dental examinations scheduled to begin on Monday. Other professional exams planned for February could also be affected.

MDCAN also raised concerns about the declining number of clinical lecturers in medical colleges. It blamed authorities for neglecting Nigeria’s health sector and medical education challenges. When contacted, OAU Public Relations Officer Abiodun Olanrewaju said Vice-Chancellor Prof Simeon Bamire was unavailable but promised to follow up.

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