By MOSES KOLO

The Federal Neuro Psychiatric Hospital, Barnawa, Kaduna, has alerted the Kaduna State Government and relevant security agencies over a possible breakdown of law and order following an alleged plan by some union members to storm the hospital premises on Monday.

This is contained in a statement issued on Sunday in Kaduna by the hospital’s Head of Information and Protocol, Usman Haruna.

Haruna recalled that the local chapter of the National Association of Nigerian Nurses and Midwives (NANNM) had been on strike over the alleged wrong placement of some of its members.

According to him, the hospital’s Top Management Committee (TMC) had earlier held two meetings with the union leadership in an effort to amicably resolve the matter.

He, however, said the meetings ended without resolution as the issues raised were beyond the jurisdiction of the hospital management.

Haruna further disclosed that a delegation from the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment and the Office of the Head of Civil Service of the Federation were also invited to intervene and engage the union, but the matter remained unresolved.

According to the statement, nurses at the hospital commenced an internal strike action on Feb. 4, 2026, over what they described as unmet demands.

The hospital further stated that in March 2026, the Federal Ministry of Health directed the management to implement the principle of “No Work, No Pay” against all nurses participating in the strike action, a directive it said the management complied with in line with extant regulations.

Haruna alleged that officials of NANNM were planning to invade the hospital premises on Monday with the intention of harassing staff members and forcefully ejecting locum nurses currently providing essential healthcare services at the facility.

He warned that such action could threaten the existing peace within the Barnawa community and potentially escalate to other parts of Kaduna metropolis if urgent preventive measures were not taken.

The hospital maintained that the demands of the striking nurses were inconsistent with the provisions of the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria Approved Unified Scheme of Service.

According to the statement, any Nigerian Registered Nurse (NRN) or Nigerian Registered Midwife (NRM) seeking career progression beyond CONHESS 12 in the Federal Civil Service must possess a Bachelor of Nursing Science (BNSc) degree obtained from an accredited university.

The management appealed to the Kaduna State Government, security agencies, community leaders and other stakeholders to urgently intervene in the interest of peace, public safety and uninterrupted healthcare service delivery.

It also prayed for sustained peace, mutual understanding and constructive dialogue among all parties involved, while reaffirming its commitment to due process, staff welfare and quality mental healthcare services to the public. (NAN)

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