At the Abuja Central Medical Store (ACMS), normally a hub supplying drugs to 14 secondary hospitals across the FCT, silence had replaced routine. Trolleys stood idle, and medical consumables untouched. Patients needing drugs, tests, and emergency care became the latest victims of Nigeria’s health sector shutdown.
For residents, the nationwide strike by the Joint Health Sector Unions (JOHESU) and the Assembly of Healthcare Professional Associations (AHPA) was more than a labour dispute. It disrupted life-or-death services.
“We have been begging for this review for years,” a senior ACMS worker who asked to remain anonymous told Pinnacle Daily. “This strike didn’t start today. The government promised us repeatedly, asking us to wait while they settled doctors first. Now everything has collapsed at once, and residents are suffering.”
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The FCT chapter of JOHESU declared an indefinite strike starting midnight, Wednesday, December 3, after a 15-day ultimatum to the FCT Administration expired.
Union leaders said long-standing demands, including the delayed CONHESS salary adjustment and unpaid allowances, remained unmet.
Dr. Okoro Nwachinemere, JOHESU FCT Chairman, had earlier told newsmen that grievances included 13 months’ hazard allowance arrears, pending promotions, skipping allowances, and 20 months of unpaid rural posting allowance.
The strike affected pharmacists, lab scientists, physiotherapists, radiographers, dieticians, optometrists, medical records officers, clinical psychologists, and other allied health workers. A task force monitored compliance, supported by a 24-hour Situation Room.
Dr. Nwachinemere acknowledged patient hardship but called the strike “the last option left” after years of unfulfilled promises. Comrade Henry-Rotimi Oshowo, FCT JOHESU Secretary, warned residents to expect disruptions in non-emergency services from Thursday, December 4.
Impact Across FCT Hospitals
Across FCT hospitals from Asokoro to Maitama, Nyanya to Bwari, Kubwa to Abaji, services thinned to skeletal operations. Pharmacies closed, laboratories shut, and medical records departments locked. Critical supplies, including insulin, reagents, and surgical consumables, remained trapped in warehouses.
Health workers said the disruption reflected years of ignored grievances, especially affecting non-doctor cadres such as pharmacists, lab scientists, physiotherapists, and medical records officers.
Salary Structure Injustice
Nigeria operates two major health salary structures: CONMESS for doctors and CONHESS for other health workers. CONHESS, covering the majority, had not been reviewed since 2009, while CONMESS had been adjusted multiple times.
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Unpaid Hazard Allowance — 13 Months
Before COVID-19, workers earned ₦5,000 monthly despite exposure to infections and dangerous procedures. During the pandemic, hazard allowances rose to between ₦30,000 and ₦40,000 depending on grade, yet 13 months remained unpaid.
Unpaid Wage Award
President Tinubu’s ₦35,000 wage award, meant to cushion subsidy removal, had been paid inconsistently, with five months still outstanding in the FCT.
Donor-Funded Lifeline at ACMS
ACMS, critical for supplying 14 secondary hospitals, relies on donor support. Its modern warehouses, cold rooms, and cooling chambers for sensitive reagents were built by UNICEF and Global Fund, not the government.
“If not for UNICEF and the Global Fund, we would still be in the old warehouse,” the official said. The cold rooms, storing insulin, vaccines, and reagents at 2–8°C, run on dedicated generators, with staff trained to switch power instantly. Now, these systems face risk due to the strike.
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FCT hospitals operate via a drug revolving fund: ACMS supplies medicines at cost; hospitals sell at a 15% markup; funds return to ACMS to restock. With pharmacists, lab scientists, store officers, and records staff on strike:
- Drug issuance halted
- Lab services suspended
- Record units locked
- Reagents inaccessible
- Cold chain maintenance has been reduced
- Procurement stalled
This has created a silent emergency for thousands of daily patients.
The FCT Health Secretariat, led by Mandate Secretary Dr. Dolapo Fasawe, appealed for calm, but national-level negotiations remained sluggish. JOHESU said the strike would continue until the government:
- Reviewed the CONHESS salary structure
- Paid 13 months of hazard allowance
- Cleared wage award arrears
- Implemented pending adjustments in FCT and states
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As the strike extended into another week, Abuja residents have continued to bear the cost. “This strike didn’t start today,” the ACMS worker reiterated. “The government promised repeatedly, and each time asked us to wait for doctors. Now everything has collapsed at once, and residents are suffering.”
Hospital units remain locked. Patients, especially older people, pregnant people, individuals with diabetes, and those with chronic illnesses, struggled silently, awaiting government intervention.
Esther Ososanya is an investigative journalist with Pinnacle Daily, reporting across health, business, environment, metro, Fct and crime. Known for her bold, empathetic storytelling, she uncovers hidden truths, challenges broken systems, and gives voice to overlooked Nigerians. Her work drives national conversations and demands accountability one powerful story at a time.
