EXCLUSIVE: Kaduna Hospital CMD Suspends NANNM Chairman After He Sheltered Stranded Nursing Students

By FNA News Desk

KADUNA, Nigeria — Fresh controversy has erupted at the Federal Neuropsychiatric Hospital (FNPH), Barnawa, Kaduna, following the three-month suspension of the hospital’s National Association of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives (NANNM) Unit Chairman, Comrade Nurse Uchechukwu Christopher Enwereji.

The suspension has drawn nationwide attention after the National Association of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives, Federal Health Institutions (NANNM-FHI) Sector accused the hospital management of victimising its members and failing to honour a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) that ended a 108-day industrial action earlier this year.

The union has warned that the dispute could trigger another round of industrial action if the issues are not resolved.

The Initial Issues That Led to the 108-Day Strike

According to the union, the industrial dispute began in February 2026 after repeated efforts to resolve longstanding concerns affecting nurses at the hospital failed.

Among the grievances were:

• Employment of Registered Nurses on CONHESS 6 instead of the approved CONHESS 7 salary grade.
• Exclusion of the Head of Nursing Department from the hospital’s Top Management Committee.
• Failure to provide a dedicated changing room for nurses.
• Removal of the Principal Nursing Officer cadre from the nursing scheme of service and redesignation of CONHESS 11 officers as Assistant Chief Nursing Officers.
• Employment of nurses as superintendents instead of nursing officers.
• Alleged employment of unlicensed nurses.
• Alleged engagement of non-nurses as locum staff to perform duties ordinarily reserved for registered nurses.
• Employment of nurses with the same qualifications on different salary grades.
• Non-payment of uniform allowances.
• What the union described as persistent attempts to undermine lawful union activities within the hospital.

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Unable to reach an agreement with management, members of NANNM commenced an industrial action in February 2026.

According to the union, the strike lasted for more than 108 days, making it one of the longest industrial disputes involving nurses in a federal health institution in recent years.

Strike Suspended After Minister of Labour Brokered Agreement

The prolonged strike was eventually suspended following the intervention of the Honourable Minister of Labour and Employment, who mediated negotiations between the hospital management and the union.

The mediation resulted in the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), after which nurses resumed work on 21 May 2026, expecting the agreed terms to be implemented.

However, the union alleges that the hospital’s Chief Medical Director (CMD) failed to honour the terms of the agreement.

According to Comrade Enwereji, nurses made several attempts to meet with the CMD to understand why the MoU had not been implemented, but those efforts were unsuccessful.

“We resumed work believing the Memorandum of Understanding would be honoured. We made several efforts to see the Medical Director to know why the agreement had not been implemented, but she refused to see us,” he told Fellow Nurses Africa.

The union further alleges that instead of implementing the agreement reached through the intervention of the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment, the hospital management later suspended the Unit Chairman on what it described as flimsy grounds.

These allegations are reflected in official correspondence issued by the Federal Health Institutions Sector of NANNM, which accused the hospital management of breaching the MoU and engaging in post-strike victimisation of nurses.

Suspension Over Accommodation for Stranded Nursing Students

The latest dispute stems from an incident involving student nurses from the College of Nursing, Kafanchan, Kaduna State, who were posted to the Federal Neuropsychiatric Hospital for psychiatric clinical experience.

According to Comrade Enwereji, the students had initially been informed that accommodation would be available during their posting. However, upon arrival at the hospital, they were allegedly told that no accommodation had been arranged.

He said several of the students had no relatives or acquaintances in Kaduna and became stranded.

“As the Unit Chairman, some of the students approached me for help,” he said.

“After consulting members of the union executive, we agreed to allow a few of them to temporarily stay in the nurses’ common room until they completed their clinical posting. I did not collect money from anyone. It was purely a humanitarian decision.”

Speaking to FNA News,Enwereji said the decision was taken collectively by the union executive and was intended solely to prevent the students from being left without shelter.

He said that the management subsequently issued him a query before suspending him for three months without first conducting a formal investigation.

“I believe the management wants to get back at me because I led the strike,” he said.

“This appears to be an attempt to intimidate union leaders and strangulate unionism within the hospital.”

The management of the Federal Neuropsychiatric Hospital has not publicly responded to the claims.

NANNM Condemns Suspension, Demands Immediate Reinstatement

The Federal Health Institutions Sector of NANNM has strongly condemned the suspension.

In a formal letter dated 3 July 2026, the union described the disciplinary action as unlawful, alleging that it violated the Memorandum of Understanding signed after the intervention of the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment.

The union demanded the immediate and unconditional reinstatement of the Unit Chairman within 72 hours, reversal of all post-strike disciplinary actions and demotions, payment of withheld salaries, and a written commitment from management to cease further acts of victimisation. It also warned that failure to comply could result in renewed industrial action, legal proceedings and a formal report to the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment.

An emergency virtual meeting of the National Executive Council of NANNM-FHI was subsequently held on 4 July 2026, where delegates expressed concern over what they described as post-strike victimisation, irregular payment of salaries and allowances, the withdrawal of teaching allowances for some nurses, and other welfare issues affecting members across federal health institutions.

Following the meeting, the NEC demanded the immediate reinstatement of the suspended Unit Chairman, reversal of all demotions, restoration of allowances and full implementation of the signed Memorandum of Understanding.

The Council further resolved to mobilise nurses across federal health institutions for industrial action should the management fail to comply with its demands.

In a separate communication to the National Headquarters of NANNM,and made available to FNA News, the Federal Health Institutions Sector requested approval to embark on a three-day warning strike, arguing that decisive action had become necessary to defend the rights of its members and discourage similar actions by other federal health institution managers. However, the National headquaters have not granted the approval.

What Happens Next?

The dispute has once again placed the spotlight on labour relations within Nigeria’s federal health institutions and the importance of implementing agreements reached through government mediation.

Labour experts note that Memoranda of Understanding signed after industrial disputes are intended to restore confidence between employers and workers. Allegations of non-compliance, if substantiated, can undermine future negotiations and industrial harmony.

As of the time of publication, the management of the Federal Neuropsychiatric Hospital, Barnawa, Kaduna, has not issued a public response to the allegations contained in the union’s official correspondence or those made by the suspended Unit Chairman.

FNA News has reached out to the hospital management for comment. This report will be updated should a response be received.

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