The Cross River State Government has commenced engagement with the leadership of the National Association of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives (NANNM) to address concerns over staff welfare, manpower shortages, remuneration and other working conditions in the state’s health sector following a 21-day ultimatum issued by the union.
The meeting, held on Thursday, November 5, 2026, at the Conference Room of the Office of the Head of Service, Calabar, provided an opportunity for the nursing association to formally present its grievances and demands, while Government representatives considered areas requiring urgent intervention and possible resolution.
The Head of Service, Cross River State, Orok Bassey Okon, Esq., was represented by the Permanent Secretary, Career Management Office, Barr. Lucy Bassey, who delivered the opening remarks and received the union’s concerns. She assured the delegation that the issues presented would be communicated to the Head of Service for appropriate attention.
Presenting the association’s position, the State Chairman of NANNM, Cross River State Chapter, Comrade Josephine Bassey, identified inadequate manpower as one of the major challenges confronting nursing services in the state, particularly the shortage of nurses in the Ministry of Health and nursing tutors in the state’s four colleges of nursing.
She explained that the shortage had placed considerable pressure on existing personnel, resulting in excessive workloads, prolonged duty hours, stress and professional burnout, with implications for the quality and efficiency of healthcare delivery.
The association also raised concerns over what it described as inadequate remuneration for nurses, irregularities in the implementation of the new minimum wage, non-payment of uniform and hazard allowances, and unexplained deductions from the salaries of some members.
It further protested the stoppage of salaries of certain nurses over alleged absence from duty, insisting that affected personnel were not adequately investigated or informed before the action was taken.
To address the manpower deficit, NANNM requested the recruitment of at least 500 additional nurses into the Ministry of Health and another 100 into Primary Healthcare facilities across the state, arguing that increased staffing would ease the workload on existing personnel and strengthen healthcare services.
The union also demanded an improvement in nurses’ remuneration, immediate payment of outstanding uniform and hazard allowances, and a review of disputed salary deductions and cases of withheld salaries.
Responding, Barr. Lucy Bassey acknowledged the issues presented and assured the nursing representatives that their grievances would be conveyed to the Head of Service, Orok Bassey Okon, Esq., for further consideration and necessary action.
The Director-General of the Cross River State Health Insurance Agency (CRSHIA), Chief Godwin Iyala, also addressed concerns relating to healthcare access and the welfare of health workers under the state health insurance scheme.
Iyala explained that the agency was working to improve the scheme and encouraged eligible health workers to register and obtain their health insurance cards to enable them to benefit from available healthcare services. He assured the delegation that the concerns and claims presented would be examined.
Discussions at the meeting also covered funding, accountability and the renovation of some health facilities as part of efforts to improve healthcare infrastructure and service delivery across the State.
By Anastasia Ekuma
