The creeping disaffection between the Executive and the legislative arms of the federal government arising from the outbreak of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic again reared its head on Friday with Speaker of the Federal House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila carpeting the Minister of Health, Dr Osagie Ehanire, over the payment of “hazard allowances” to health workers in the frontline of the war against the pandemic.
With Dr Ehanire saying that he is “not aware” if health professionals on the frontline of the battle against COVID-19 are paid any “hazard allowances,” and Speaker retorting that the Minister has “dropped the ball,” many Nigerians are calling for the resignation of the Minister,
On Thursday, Senate President, Dr Ahmed Lawan and a senior aide of the President, Mrs Maryam Uwais, were aiming for each other’s jugular over the distribution of palliatives to the poorest of the poor to help alleviate rhe suffering of Nigerians as they remain indoors throughout the lockdown period.
The latest onslaught between the Minister of Health and House Speaker, Femi Gbajabiamila, took place at the National Assembly when the House met with members of the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 in order to “address salient issues.”
Trouble started when Gbajabiamila inquired from the Health Minister if health workers on the frontline of the Coronavirus fight were being paid hazard allowances and to which the Minister answered straightaway: “ I am not aware.”
Ehanire then added: “It is the standard job they do every day. It is the Standard job”
A visibly disgusted Gbajabiamila, in his response, “It is not enough to say you are not aware. You dropped the ball.”
The matter caught the immediate attention of Nigerians on the social media. And who had seen the video of the interaction are calling for the resignation of the Health Minister.
Nollywood actress, Ms Kate Henshaw, agreed with the Speaker that the minister ‘dropped the ball.’
She tweeted: “Minister of Health, Osagie Ohanire, you are not aware? What are you aware of? These doctors and nurses and other support staff put their lives on the line daily and even more so now!! More so now!!#TheirLivesMatter. You dropped the ball just like @femigbaja.”
@DrOlufunmilayo tweeted: “In sane countries, that kind of nonsense statement made by the Minister of Health is a career-terminating statement. How can you go to the parliament of lawmakers to tell them you are not aware of any hazard allowance for health workers fighting coronavirus? How can you say that?
“If the Minister of Health had any shame, he would tender a well worded apology for being an embarrassment to the Health Ministry and he will follow it up with an immediate resignation from the office and from public consciousness. That clown display yesterday was a catastrophe.”
@AfricanCandy also tweeted: “A whole Minister of Health just openly said ‘he’s not aware if health professionals are paid hazard allowance.’ He just disclosed he’s not competent for this job. What a shame!”
