Two female nurses of National Orthopaedic Hospital, Igbobi Lagos (NOHIL) have been sacked for wearing hijab while on duty! The nurses Mrs Fasilat Olayinka Lawal and Miss Sekinat Sanusi, relied on the prescription of their regulatory body, the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria which says nurses should either wear nurse cap or shoulder lenght hijab as contained in a circular dated February 11, 2002 (reference number N&MCN/CMF/721/ 1/3). The circular which was signed by P. N. Ndatsu, Secretary General/Registrar was said to have been sent to all Directors of Nursing and their deputies, chief Medical Directors, chief Executives, and Principals. It was gathered that Muslims nurses in other government and teaching hospitals in other states wear shoulder length hijab. Some of them include Kwara, Osun, Oyo in the South West and most states in the north of the country. The victims in anticipation of the hospital management wielding the big stick, approached the court to obtain injunction against further actions by the management of the NOHIL, But this did not deter the hospital management as the two nurses were sacked a few days ago. Narrating how it happened, Mrs Lawal said she accepted the offer based on the circular of Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria prescribing a shoulder length hijab which she expected the hospital to comply with. When the Medical Director, NOHIL, Dr. O.Odunibi was contacted on phone for comments, he declined saying “the matter is already in court and we have been told not to comment on the matter.” A senior Muslim nurse in the hospital who crave anonymity told Vanguard that they were not wearing hijab merely because no circular was given to them to that effect. She maintained that the development was an eye-opener to other Muslim nurses in the hospital. The Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria is a parastatal of the Federal Government of Nigeria established by Act Cap. No143 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004, and the Council is the only regulatory body for all cadres of Nurses and Midwives in Nigeria. How it happened: “I assumed duty on February 25, 2014, at the commencement of the one month orientation, I was told to remove my hijab but I insisted presenting a copy of a circular from Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria to the head of Nursing Department, Mrs Adebowale, hence I was allowed to do the orientation wearing hijab.” “I completed the orientation on March 23, 2014 and resumed duty fully in uniform on Monday March 24, 2014 and I was told that I was not properly dressed as I was using hijab and not a nurse cap. “On April 8, 2014′ I wrote a letter of protest to the Medical Director copying Minister for Health, Minister for State for Health and Board Chairman, National Orthopeadic Hospital Igbobi Lagos and Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria.” “On April 9, 2014, I was given a query dated April 8, 2014 to explain why disciplinary action should not be instituted against me for insubordination by not wearing Nurse uniform which I replied with a letter dated April 9, 2014 and since April 10, 2014 I have not been allowed to work or even sign the attendance register, we were told to stay outside the Director of Administrator’s office by the Chairman of National Association of Nigerian Nurses and Midwife (NANNM). “On April 11, 2014, we were given two letters, one from the Director of Administration summoning us to a disciplinary committee on Monday April 14, 2014 and another from the Assistant Director of Nursing calling our attention to some so called facts. On the April 14, 2014, we were at the panel/ disciplinary committee and was told to have a rethink of removing our hijab within 24hrs and get back to the committee the following day at 10:00am to avoid a disciplinary action taken against us.” “We immediately sort a legal advice since we were determined not to remove our hijab and decided to proceed to court to stop any diciplinary actions taken against us and also seek redress on the violation on our fundamental human rights and be allowed to work and wear our hijabs without hindrance as permitted by Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria, the only body permitted by law to regulate the Nursing Profession in Nigeria. “We were further prevented from entering the ward and carrying out our official duty, we wrote another letter to the Medical Director in the afternoon of April 15, 2014 notifying him of the situation.” “On April 17, 2014, a letter was written to the Medical Director by our Lawyer informing him of the implication of their actions of not allowing us to work and if the situation persists a contempt proceeding would be commenced against them. The situation continued that way without been allowed to work until April 23, 2014 when we were given a memo to appear before the Hospital Management Board by 10:00am.” “We met with the board and was told that by not removing our hijab we have committed an act of insurbodination and disobedience which is punishable by the law of public service. We were asked if we were ready to retrace our steps by removing our hijab and we responded that we can not remove our hijab and moreso the matter is in court and we cannot take any further step without informing our lawyer.
Posted on: Sat, 03 May 2014 11:54:56 +0000
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