(OUR STAND)

It was a sad moment for those vulnerable state citizens who have seen hope in the recent recruitment exercise of over (500) health workers, championed by the management of Zamfara State Hospital Management Board, before things were turned down by whoever is responsible.

For us, it would have been one of the most transparent exercises to be conducted in the history of the state, even though it might have its shortcomings and the Chairman should not hide under any logistic reason to announce the unfortunate abortion of this exercise, but he should have the moral confidence to speak out to Zamfara people on the genuine circumstances behind this anti-citizen decision.

Whatever reason the management of the board adduced at this point it is just a folktale because we knew for sure some certain interests had successfully worked against the exercise either for political or personal reasons and to say it all, Zamfara people are cheated.

And we will emphasize this question of whether the government is fair to these applicants who have subjected to a tedious process with deep sense of patience and hope before their speed moving hearts are forced to blink the dark light of “no hope again”.

Zamfara state government surely need to sit up and be in charge because government is not run like supermarket where everyone does what he wanted to do and leave without recourse to statutory consideration and right of natural justice to the governed.

For us, the suspension of the exercise is the highest forms of “corporate irresponsibility” this government will be remembered with, and it is really not the best way to go hoping the Governor or any of his senior agent shall see wisdom in this clarion calls and get things amended in the overall interest of the survival of this government.

It is on record of course that, vacancies exist at the Hospital Service Management Board of Zamfara state, the funds are there, there are more than enough applicants who are genuinely citizens of Zamfara demanding for this opportunity! Then why the sudden crash?? Can we run a government like this?? Certainly not.

Definitely with the direction the Chairman of the board wanted to go in the recruitment exercise we anticipated something like this may likely come up considering the fact that he has blocked all chances of political favoritism, and we had severally called his attention to soften a little considering the peculiar nature of the state but of course he insisted in going toward this direction even with the impossibilities and the result now affects the generality of the qualified citizens of Zamfara who might have been absorbed into the service of the state to contribute their quota.

We no doubt saluted his courage for trying to champion a change, and I am sure whoever is responsible for this indecision against Zamfara Citizens, he shall be “burrying his face in shame”.

We will emphasise this point we have been raising time and time again that, Zamfara is bigger than any individual, no matter how highly placed he is and if you succeeded in crashing something that is going to bring a lasting change to over five million people because your interest is not pleased then for sure the payback time is coming.

Our data on human resource in Zamfara is in such a shamble position that Zamfara state government needed to do more than recruitment of (500) health workers but here are we trying to crash an effort to change things for the better.

This is a state where we have about 1/40,000 doctor/patient ratio according to data from NMA and same thing with the Nurse/Midwiferies and yet, the government is not passionate about supporting initiative like this which is brought by the HSMB.

Certainly in another argument, some people blamed the Hospital Board for moving alone without carrying the office of the Head of Service, the mother Ministry of Health or the Civil Service Commission, but we hold a contrary views that, carrying them along may turn the whole process to a “political exercise”.

There is the board secretary who is a staff of the ministry of health and there is Director of Administration who hails from the office of the head of service of the state and their presence is purely okay in our views.

To this end, we want to encourage the applicants to seek redress in court for the injustice done to them and for the suffering they were subjected to. As for the rest of us the citizens of Zamfara whose daughters, children, and brothers were affected by this indecision we shall be reminded that unless we came together and collectively challenge injustice and insincerity in leadership things will never change for the better in Zamfara. This state called “Zamfara” belongs to all of us.

As for the government, it is always advisable not start what cannot be carried to a logical conclusion because it is a clear case of “political suicide”.

As for Dr. Bashir Maru and other political appointees, what happened to this planned exercise by HSMB of Zamfara is a clear indicator for all of you in government to take note that you are collectively running a system which is full of uncertainty. Play your role with all sense of carefulness so that you will not become victim of uncertainty at the long run.