Protesting members of the Joint Health Sector Union, JOHESU and Assembly of Health Professionals Associations, AHPA on Thursday barricaded the entrance into the National Assembly, to demand immediate withdrawal of an executive regulation Bill.
Officials of the health workers say the bill which has passed first reading intends to put 24 regulatory councils under the purview of the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria, MDCN, which is a regulatory body established for Doctors.
The protest started from the Unity Fountain in Abuja where members of JOHESU and AHPA, gathered chanting solidarity songs and carring placards with inscriptions, expressing their rejection of an executive health Bill seeking to subject 24 other regulatory Council to the MDCN.
The protesters marched to the National Assembly to submit a petition, urging the lawmakers not to.proceed with the second reading and to drop the idea of public hearing on the bill
Some regulatory bodies likely to be affected are the Medical Laboratory Science Regulatory Council, Pharmacists Council of Nigeria, Physiotherapy Regulatory Council of Nigeria among others.
In the meantime, the National Assembly is on recess but, the labour leaders where invited into the complex by security operatives to submit a petition on their greivances to the appropriate offices.
(Editor: Terverr Tyav)
