Nurses in Delta State, under the auspices of National Association of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives (NANNM), have described Governor Sheriff Oborevwori as a leader who epitomises justice in leadership.
The nurses, who were on a solidarity thank you match to Governor Oborevwori for resolving their years of bondage under the leadership of the former Director of Nursing Services, Mrs Gloria Igumbor, pledged to use their privileged positions to ensure sustained health and wellness of Deltans.
The nurses, who bore placards with various inscriptions such as “Governor of Destiny, Delta Nurses say Thank you”, “Thank you, our Governor for restoring the hope of Nurses”, “Victory for Nurses will better the health of Deltans”, “The Iroko Governor, Your Commissioner for Health is doing well” “Thank you, sir!”, “Thanks, our amiable Head of Service,” “We are grateful to the Ukodo of Delta State for good governance, NANNM”, “Our Governor, Your Head of Service (HOS) is very competent,” among others, commended Governor Oborevwori for resolving the age-long alleged oppression affecting nurses in the state.
Speaking on behalf of the nurses, NANNM Public Relations Officer in the state, Comrade Julie Eto, said, “We are here today on a solidarity march and it is all about thanking the governor and all the stakeholders who have redeemed Nurses in Delta State.
“Governor Oborevwori has also redeemed the education of nurses in Delta State. We are here to say thank you to the Secretary to the State Government because he was the mediator of the meeting that brought in this victory.
“We call it victory because the Nurses in Delta State had been in bondage for many years and now we have been liberated. The only thing we have to say to the governor is that he is an epitome of justice and justice will continue to follow him and his team.
“Because Delta State Nurses are just vessels standing in for God to treat, Governor Oborevwori will never know sickness. His team will never know sickness. You have set the pace for justice and other states will learn from Delta State.”
The nurses further lauded Governor Oborevwori, saying, “He was taken to court and came back victorious and he asked if there was any injustice in Delta State and he did the same thing that was done for him in court. Within twenty-four hours, he mediated and we got the victory.
“This is just a cross-section of the nurses in Delta State. We love him so much and would not want to close down the hospitals for this march. We are the middle men between the sick and God. We are very appreciative of the Governor and we say a very big thank you to him because we are very happy.”
Responding, Governor Sheriff Oborevwori thanked the nurses for conducting themselves very well throughout the period, assuring them of his commitment to ensuring justice in all sectors of the state.
The governor, who spoke through the Secretary to the State Government, Dr Kingsley Emu, thanked the nurses for the solidarity march, and urged them to use the opportunity of their liberation to commit themselves further to the job to ensure that more lives were saved in hospitals across the state.
He said, “We like to welcome you here, and, as a state, we will remain steadfast in what we do. We were not pushed by stories told by anybody, including your stories. We were pushed by the facts of the matter and things that will make the state stable and standout.
“Health is a very important sub-sector of our economy and we can’t afford to meddle with it. You have a big responsibility to sustain the commitment you have made here; even your anthem speaks volume.
“I have looked at all the placards; they are all commendable but your actions should be more commendable. What we have tried to do is to look at all the challenges and agreed to make some amendments to suit you.
“We enjoin you to go back and show deeper commitment to your job and do less of unionism. Unionism is good but everything cannot become a union business because your job will suffer. Like you said, you are the middle men between the ailing people and God. Therefore, you must stand in the gap for the people.
“So, we commend you for your efforts and we enjoin you to go back and do you your job just exactly the way you sang it in your Nurses’ anthem. We appreciate your solidarity and effort”.
