they dont really care about us

[badmus olabiwononi]

They don’t really care about us
the late pop star m j,in one of his song ,has the lyrics “all i want to say is that they don’t really care about us” it was has if he was prophesying about the gateway state of today,where the two most important sectors are in a state of coma. Education and health sectors. The reason is because of the insincerity and insensitivity nature of the government. They don’t really care about. A government that never earned the trust of the people, will always bears it fang, no matter how hard it tries.
Remember the 2007 election and how woeful the pdp performed but had to use guns and federal might health sector had to make an unpleasant choice; the devil’s alternative to crush our collective choice. Well that is for another day.
Teachers and health workers –all unions in the; to save the two sectors from total and irreversible collapse.the choice was to go on strike.
Strike;a notorious word in the nation,will cause a short term pain and unease .but is far better than a long term pain and irreversible death of the sector . The similitude is like a case of an early detected curable cancer .the patient has the choice of going under the surgical blade which in its effect is painful, incapacitating, dreadful and also leaves a scar. But still far better than a long term pain, suffering and eventual death .
What are the issues involved?
Education: The bed rock of a nations development; knowledge is power. Teachers, after, a long fight for tss got the federal government approval. But has the hawks in power always behaves all the state governments rejected it . They claimed federation. A federation they ignored when rmac fixes huge wages for political offices holders.
Eventually a collective bargain of 27.5% for all state was reached with teachers in 2008. While some state implemented the agreement others, like the gateway state suffered a dislocation and are yet to comply. Economic meltdown became the chorus. .as if when there was a boom it was spread round.that aside, the government enters into a new negotiation and a june date was fixed for implementation. Alas, now in october it is still stories. Teachers are back on strike .the last one in 2008 is still resonating with the worst wasc and neco result the state ever had.
Health: Health is wealth. The state of the nation is measured in terms of maternal and child mortality.
Jac: Joint action committee of health workers had an agreement with the government after a protracted struggle for a new allowance from january 2009 . Which was input into the budget and passed by the house. It was to stem the tide of loss of capable hands which has plagued the sector for years. For example since 2003 over 120 doctors has been employed with only about 40 of them still in service has of today because of poor remuneration which they could not cope with.similarly with nurses and other health workers. Can you imagine that the state has only 4 radiographers and no radiologist? When january came the story was not different economic melt down was parroted, so no new package.
In march, the workers went on strike to enforce payment and by april the government renegotiated to less than 55% of the previous package and to start in august with no arrears come rain come sunshine. Jac reluctantly agreed because of the suffering of the masses. Now in october the government is yet to redeem its pledge ‘a man with no integrity is a man with nothing’. Health workers are back to square one.
However was is really baffling is that the same government claiming no fund for teachers and health workers was able to muster funds for
- over 100 kia rio cars for political appointees, with some already having 2 official vehicles
- mega party to celebrate victory at the election tribunal.
- pay over 1 billion naira to politicians has furniture allowance
- pay governor 2 million naira each time he leaves abeokuta to sleep in his house in sagamu.
- to embark on a new secretariat at the cost of 5.6 million per office {840 million per block of 150 offices }
- travel to china with over 20 entourage
- embark on dualization of ijebu ode road for fifa under 17 world cup.
All these while the youth and children are at home wondering what their fate is . While the sick and pregnant women are dying because the hospitals are closed. The problem is not money, it is wrong priority. The fact that they don’t care at all whether we die or live, eat or starve.
This government has shown itself as an irresponsible and ir responsive one.
The people should now take their destiny in to their hands and tell these hawks to go!!!
By olabiwoninu koselupa badmus.