THE President, Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Mr Ayuba Wabba, has expressed concern over the widening gap between rich and poor Nigerians in accessing healthcare services.

Wabba made this known at the 10th National Quadrennial Delegates Conference of the Medical and Health Workers Union of Nigeria (MHWUN) in Abuja.

The theme of the conference is: “Advancing National Campaign toward Good Governance, Poverty Alleviation Health for All for Development’’.

The labour leader explained that in other countries the rich subsidise the costs of healthcare services for the poor, saying that the reverse is the case in Nigeria.

“The inequality gap in healthcare services between the rich and the poor in our country is getting expanded whereas in other countries it is the rich that subsidise cost of care for the poor but in our country it is the poor that subsidise for the rich.

“The conference theme is very important and strategic because there cannot be development when majority of the people are so impoverished; we cannot talk about development if workers salaries cannot even take them to their next bus stop.

“We cannot talk about development when our pensioners after working for 35 years have a living that is difficult. What is central is for our system to bring about equity and fairness in all ramifications,” Wabba said.

He, however, identified the existing situation as the factor responsible for the nation’s poor health indices as well as underdevelopment, stressing that the component of the conference’s theme is key to development of any society.

According to him, some of the health indices like maternal, child mortality, disease burden, general health services and government can only achieve the desired goals when the system is working to specifications.

He blamed the failure of democracy to work for the benefits of generality of the people on the tendency of the privileged few to corner the resources.

Wabba said: “We ought not to be where we are today if we are able to do what is right.”

The NLC president who also flayed the disparities in salaries and tax payment, saying there is no justification for the lowest paid workers to pay higher taxes than the elected public office holders.

Wabba stressed the need for the continuous review of political office holders to be done in a manner that the actual workforce of the country is duly considered for the exercise.

“If you are increasing the salary of political class you can look at the same percentage to increase the salaries of other workers because we create and promote wealth of our nation.

“So, if we create wealth for the nation we must be compensated.” (NAN)

– Mar. 29, 2019 @ 18:35 GMT |