The Federal Government has frowned at some medical doctors who flee the country after graduating from medical school without giving back in service to the country (Nigeria) they trained ‘for free’ at public expense.
The Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige who disclosed this at the 2022 Budget Defence of his Ministry at the House of Representatives on Wednesday in Abuja therefore recommended bonding of medical and other health workers so they can serve the country before leaving for anywhere.
“Medical education in Nigeria is almost free. Where else in the world is it free? The Presidential Committee on Health should come with a proposal for bonding doctors, nurses, medical laboratory scientists and other health workers, so that they don’t just carry their bags and walk out of their country at will when they were trained at no cost.
“In London, it is 45,000 pounds a session for medical education in cheap in universities. If you go to Edinburgh or Oxford, you pay $80,000. If you go to USA you pay $45,000 but if you go to the Ivy leagues, you pay $90,000 for only tuition, excluding lodging. You do it for six years. So, people in America take loans.
“We can make provisions for loans and you pay back. If government will train you for free, we should bond you. You serve the country for nine years before you go anywhere,” the Minister said in a statement issued by Deputy Director, Press and Public Relations of the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment, Charles Akpan.
Meanwhile, the Federal Executive Council (FEC) has given a waiver for employment in health, defence and paramilitary to ensure that those who leave for greener pastures were replaced.
Ngige explained that the waiver was granted by the government despite an embargo on recruitment into public service.
The Minister said to address the incessant labour crises in the county, the government would introduce mandatory training for newly elected labour leaders at the National Institute of Labour Studies (NILS).
He said the proposed training will equip the labour leaders with the knowledge of Labour laws and the International Labour Organisation (ILO) conventions to curb the incessant industrial disputes in the country.
Ngige also revealed that his Ministry has made provision for the establishment of Rapid Response Labour Desk Offices across the 36 States of the Federation to help nip some of these industrial crises in the bud.
![#EndSARS: LASU students shun Falz, Mr Macaroni, Seun Kuti; promise to walk with Sanwo-Olu for peace [Photo]](https://thenewsguru.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/E70DB7AA-9D30-48CE-AA48-33A434405E28-350x250.jpeg)
It’s a proposal worthy of consideration. However, what seems like free training of health professionals is limited to public universities. Students pay much sometimes above N2m per session.
The same government that boosted that we have more doctors and that they should migrate have suddenly become aware that they have to make a u turn.
If you don’t treat health workers well, by paying approximately, you will loose them to favorable countries with good welfare packages.
Health workers are not slaves and must be valued and treated with respect to avoid migration to UK, UAE, USA and other favorable African countries.
So after training in Nigeria and not employed by the FG, a professional would serve Nigeria from home for 9 years before he or she can travel out. Interesting proposal!
It is better to leave those nurses and doctors to travel out of the country to work than to stay in Nigeria, they don’t give jobs to government hospitals again like before, they collect money from doctors and nurses before they can get job in government hospitals, private hospitals don’t pay well in nigeria, i mean alot of things is going wrong in the health sector, so for me i don’t think that, that law will work, the same people putting the law non of there children is in nigeria all of them is outside the country practicing there carrier.
This is arrant nonsense. You guys should cucuma not collect money at all so we know it’s free education. After spending millions in mission school of nursing you open mouth to tell me you trained me for free. My siblings had to
forfeit their admission and drank garri to make sure i graduated. It will never be well with you if you execute your plans.