Healthcare workers across Lagos State have expressed outrage over massive, unexplained deductions from their salaries, with some staff losing between N200,000 and N600,000.
Many of them accused Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s administration of betrayal and financial oppression.
Speaking on Monday, one of the affected workers, who requested anonymity for security reasons, described the situation as unprecedented and a clear indication of wickedness against them by the state government.
“What is happening is terrible. We have never experienced this before. In fact, normally, in Lagos State, from primary, secondary to tertiary healthcare, each has a particular day their workers get their salaries,” she said.
The worker explained that Primary Health Care (PHC) staff usually receive their salaries two days before General Hospital workers and workers in tertiary healthcare institutions.
“Primary healthcare workers normally receive their salaries two days before workers in general hospitals.
“So, at this point, the PHCs got their salaries two days before others as usual but they started calling doctors in general hospitals to complain that their salaries were slashed,” she continued.
“Some of them told doctors that N200,000 were removed from their salaries while some said N300,000 were removed from their salaries and they didn’t understand what was happening.”
The deductions became more alarming when salaries for general hospital workers were released.
“The complaint continued until those of us working in general hospitals received our salaries and I saw that my salary was also slashed. But because I’m owing a loan, I thought they only crossed the limit of the amount they were supposed to deduct,” the worker explained.
“It was until I found out that some of our colleagues in level 14 were screaming that N300,000 was deducted from their salaries. One of my colleagues said over N300,000 was deducted from her salary, that I realised that it was the Lagos State government that collected those money.”
Confirming that over N200,000 was deducted from her own salary, the healthcare worker recounted scenes of chaos at her workplace.
“When I checked my money, I found out that they deducted over N200,000. When I got to the hospital, I saw all the doctors screaming,” she said.
“Then some consultants said that over N600,000 was deducted from their salaries. That means they collected everything. That was when we realised that the Lagos State government is using us for politics. They want us to be eating from ground to mouth.”
The anger is not limited to PHC and general hospital workers. Staff at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH) are reportedly affected as well.
“It is not only the primary healthcare and general hospital workers. LASUTH (Lagos State University Teaching Hospital) is affected.
“I learnt that immediately everybody got their salary, the NMA (Nigerian Medical Association) went to Alausa to meet with the Accountant General to find out why such amounts of money were removed from their salaries,” she said.
She accused the government of misrepresenting the true status of workers’ remuneration.
“As I’m talking to you, all those announcements that Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu made that he has paid us minimum wage and palliatives, those are the money he has collected now. He has collected everything back.
“For me to say that these people are using us for politics, the salary we were supposed to receive during former Presidents Ya’Adua and Jonathan, is what Lagos State government wants to pay us now. They are not ready to add anything,” she lamented.
According to her, the deductions were compounded by increased taxation.
“After collecting it, he went further to deduct more money from our salaries and then, increased our taxes. In fact, the height of this wickedness is what I have never seen,” she said.
The worker emphasised the financial contributions of the health sector to the state’s economy, questioning why healthcare workers are being impoverished.
She said, “The money the state government is generating from labs alone in Lagos Island Maternity should be over N50 million per month. This is apart from other services. Yet, they want us to be eating from hand to mouth.”
“And the most painful thing is that the Lagos State government is generating a lot of money from the health sector. In fact, most general hospitals are generating over N100 million per month for the state government.”
Highlighting worsening inequalities within the sector, she pointed out that healthcare workers have been stuck on stagnant wages despite years of service.
“They don’t want us to achieve anything. They want us just to be working for them. As I’m talking to you now, the salary I was supposed to earn at level 9 is what I’m earning at level 14. It is an eyesore,” she said.
Plans for industrial action are reportedly underway among doctors and other healthcare workers, according to her.
She noted, “For the doctors, they are holding a serious meeting now that they want to go on strike. This is not affecting only doctors and nurses. It is affecting healthcare workers from level 9 upwards, even those in level 17.”
According to her, those they deducted N600,000 and above from their salaries are on level 17.”
She further revealed that auditors within the sector had also had deductions from their salaries.
“It is affecting healthcare workers in LASUTH, general hospitals and primary health care centers.
“Those whose works are not health related but they are working in the health sector like the auditors, their salaries were also removed; except those who are not working in the health sector,” she stated.
The healthcare worker accused the government of systematically undermining their well-being.
“They really want to kill us. This governor really wants to kill us. We need urgent help. All of us had plans for what we would use the money for but look at what they are doing to us,” she pleaded.
She further said, “The money that was not even enough in the first place. We were crying that they should increase our salaries, now they have brought us down completely to square one, showing us that they don’t care about us.
“Nurses under the National Association of Nurses and Midwives have also started holding meetings unit by unit. They started their morning today in respect to the salary deduction.
“Also, the auditors are having their own meeting too.”
Efforts by SaharaReporters to get the reaction of the Lagos State government failed as calls made to the mobile number of the Commissioner of Health, Prof. Emmanuel Abayomi, were not answered.
Also, a message sent to the commissioner via WhatsApp which was confirmed to have been delivered was not responded to till the time of filing this report.
As the backlash grows, Lagos State authorities are yet to publicly address the outrage or provide any clarification on the deductions.
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