Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi State has taken a significant step to address the issue of the “japa syndrome” in the health sector by approving a 100 percent hazard allowance for medical doctors and other health workers.
This move comes at a crucial time when many Nigerian doctors are seeking better job opportunities abroad.
The governor announced this during a courtesy visit by the pioneer medical students of state-owned Abubakar Audu University (PAAU), Ayangba, and the leadership of the Nigerian Medical Association in the state.
Persecondnews reports that the governor-elect, Mr. Ahmed Usman Ododo, attended the occasion.
Bello, who exits office on January 27, reaffirmed the government’s commitment to creating a conducive environment for medical professionals to work in the state.
The alumni association commended Bello for his efforts in solving the accreditation challenges faced by the pioneer set of medical students and providing them with scholarships to continue their MBBS programme in various tertiary institutions across the country.
The scholarship beneficiaries, accompanied by their parents and the management of the university, expressed their gratitude to Bello for his support in financing their studies and his overall investment in education in the state.
The Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Marietu Ohunene Tenuche, also praised the governor for his remarkable achievements in education and highlighted the university’s readiness for full accreditation.
Dr. Olusola Baoku, the Chairman of the Nigerian Medical Association, Kogi State Chapter, also commended the governor for his strides in the state’s health sector and acknowledged Kogi as one of the seven states in the federation addressing hazard allowance for medical doctors.
Additionally, he emphasized the better medical infrastructure that the Bello administration had provided and expressed the state’s readiness to set up and run a medical college.
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