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The Benue State chapter of the National Association of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives (NANNM) has issued a strong warning that ongoing alleged victimisation and punitive measures against nurses at the Benue State University Teaching Hospital (BSUTH), Makurdi, risk further prolonging the current industrial action and escalating the crisis.
In a statement released on Monday, January 26, 2026, the State Chairman of NANNM, Comrade Nr. Tahav Kershio, condemned what he described as sustained intimidation, threats, and repressive actions directed at nursing staff. He described such approaches as outdated, counterproductive, and detrimental to any genuine effort at peaceful conflict resolution.
According to Comrade Kershio, newly employed nurses at BSUTH are yet to receive any salary payments, while longer-serving staff are being issued only partial salaries. He further alleged threats of dismissal, removal of some nurses from confirmation lists, and other disciplinary steps capable of inflaming tensions and drawing national attention to the deteriorating situation at the hospital.
The chairman lamented that these developments are occurring even as union leadership remains engaged in high-level negotiations with the Benue State Government. He accused the hospital management of deliberately sabotaging the ongoing dialogue aimed at resolving the impasse.
Listing the union’s core demands, Comrade Kershio revealed that more than 100 nurses are owed two to three months’ salary arrears spanning 2024 and 2025. Promotion shortfall arrears for 2023 remain unpaid, with affected nurses reportedly receiving only ₦120,000 instead of the approved ₦750,000 entitlement. Other unresolved issues include:
– Payment of uniform allowances for newly employed nurses in 2024 and 2025
– Urgent address of severe manpower shortages, currently resulting in a nurse-to-patient ratio of 1:20
– Remittance of deducted pension contributions to Pension Fund Administrators (PFAs)
– Reversal of what the union described as excessive tax deductions from November and December salaries compared to other health workers under the Primary Health Care Board and Hospital Management Board
– Reinstatement of nurses removed from the Contributory Pension Scheme
The NANNM leader stressed that these grievances have persisted for over a year despite repeated letters, meetings, and appeals. He pointed out that during the recent nationwide nurses’ strike, newly employed BSUTH nurses were exempted from the industrial action to allow pursuit of their 2024 allowances, but no progress was made.
Comrade Kershio dismissed claims that the strike is politically motivated or that nurses are uninterested in the hospital’s welfare, describing such narratives as false and misleading. He reaffirmed that NANNM has no political agenda and has consistently acknowledged Governor Hyacinth Iormem Alia’s efforts to improve the health sector in Benue State.
He made a passionate appeal to the Benue State Government to intervene urgently, halt any further repressive measures, and address the outstanding demands in order to prevent escalation, restore industrial harmony, and ensure uninterrupted healthcare delivery at BSUTH.
