THE Joint Health Workers Union (JOHESU) has suspended its nationwide strike which began on April 17, 2018.

According to Channels Television, the union has directed its members to resume work on Monday, June 4.

Josiah Biobelemonye, President of JOHESU, told journalist in Abuja on Thursday that the strike was called off due to the intervention of Bukola Saraki, Senate President.

Biobelemonye said several meetings the union held with representatives of the Federal Government had ended in a deadlock.

The development comes less than a week after Isaac Adewole, Minister of Health, told newsmen that the health workers’ strike will end soon.

“The JOHESU strike will soon be over. The federal government is doing everything possible to bring the strike to an end,” Adewole said in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on May 26.

However, just two days ago, Adewale issued a statement directing the governing boards of federal tertiary health institutions to convene emergency meetings of boards and order the striking health workers back to work.

According to the statement signed by Boade Akinola, Director of Media and Public Relations at the Ministry of Health, anyone who fails to resume after the directives of the governing boards, would be considered to have absconded from duty without leave.

Also, a non- governmental organization had gotten a court order from the National Industrial Court in Abuja, compelling the striking health workers to return to work, though JOHESU said it has appealed the judgement.

The strike by JOHESU has paralysed activities in almost all federal tertiary hospitals across the country as nurses, laboratory scientists and all other health workers, except doctors and dentists, downed their tools.