By Nasir Imam

FCTA has agreed to withdraw the sack letters earlier issued to some of the workers.
The workers also apologised to the FCT minister for the strike action through the chairman of the Joint Action Committee of FCT health workers, Dr. Charles Nzelu. Addressing journalists at the end of the truce meeting which was also attended by the chief physician to the president, Dr. Femi Tella, the NLC president regretted the unnecessary loss of life as a result of the strike.
Comrade Adams Oshiomhole described the strike as unfortunate, and said that the situation as “avoidable if the appropriate channels had been exploited.” He promised that NLC would create a sustainable mechanism to ensure industrial harmony in the FCT.
He attributed the ugly development to an information gap on the side of the health workers. He thanked the FCT minister for giving the NLC the opportunity to intervene in the matter, assuring him that a similar situation would not arise in the future.
In his words: “What we have said is that in the light of the emergency situation we’ve found ourselves, it would not be wise to waste too much time with agreement details. The important thing now is to return the situation to normal and get the health workers back to work. The little gaps will be straightened out later.”
Reacting, FCT minister expressed shock at the behaviour of the workers despite all that was done to make them comfortable. He warned that his administration would no longer tolerate unruly and unethical behaviour by FCTA staff.
It will be recalled that the striking health workers had earlier rebuffed appeals to return to their duty posts, which they abandoned since October 18, 2005.
The resolution of the strike was witnessed by Hon. Sidi Ali, member of the House of Representatives’ Committee on FCT.