Nurses sue health minister, others over new certificate verification guidelines
The revised certificate verification requirements have led to lawsuits by certain nurses in the nation against the Minister of Health, the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria, and other parties.
The guidelines for obtaining verification of a nurse's or midwife's certificate were revised by a circular released by the NMCN on February 7, 2024.
According to the council, candidates must have two years of post-qualification experience from the date the permanent practicing licence was issued in order to request verification of their certifications from international nursing boards and councils.
On March 1, 2024, the new regulations went into effect.
Nurses in Abuja and Lagos staged protests in response, calling for the revocation of the new standards.
On the other hand, a few disgruntled nurses sued the Attorney General of the Federation, the Federal Ministry of Health, the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, the Registrar of the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria, and other relevant parties before the National Industrial Court located in Abuja. They did this on behalf of their fellow nurses.
The parties named as complainants in the suit with the filing number NICN/ABJ/76/2024 are Desmond Aigbe, Osemwengie Osagie, Abiola Olaniyan, Idowu Olabode, Olumide Olurankinse, Kelvin Ossai, Catherine Olatunji-Kuyoro, Tamunoibi Berry, and Osemwengie Osagie.
According to the council, candidates must have two years of post-qualification experience from the date the permanent practicing licence was issued in order to request verification of their certifications from international nursing boards and councils.
On March 1, 2024, the new regulations went into effect.
Nurses in Abuja and Lagos staged protests in response, calling for the revocation of the new standards.
On the other hand, a few disgruntled nurses sued the Attorney General of the Federation, the Federal Ministry of Health, the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, the Registrar of the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria, and other relevant parties before the National Industrial Court located in Abuja. They did this on behalf of their fellow nurses.
The parties named as complainants in the suit with the filing number NICN/ABJ/76/2024 are Desmond Aigbe, Osemwengie Osagie, Abiola Olaniyan, Idowu Olabode, Olumide Olurankinse, Kelvin Ossai, Catherine Olatunji-Kuyoro, Tamunoibi Berry, and Osemwengie Osagie.
They are asking the court to hold off on enforcing the NMCN circular until the matter is resolved so that neither the defendants nor their representatives may do so.
The nurses also requested that the court postpone the implementation of the new standards.
The partial relief requested was "An interlocutory order restraining suspending the 2nd Defendant's commencement." "REVISED GUIDELINES FOR VERIFICATION OF CERTIFICATE(S) WITH THE NURSING AND MIDWIFERY COUNCIL OF NIGERIA" were originally intended to go into effect on March 7, 2024, as stated in the second defendant's circular, dated February 7, 2024, pending the Claimants'/Applicants' Originating Summons' hearing and decision in this suit.
A restraining order interlocutory prohibiting the defendants, their partners, parastatals, subjects, counterparts, agents, servants, privies, assigns, or anyone else acting on their behalf from acting in a way that could impede, restrict, or violate the constitutional rights and freedoms of Nigerian nurses and midwives who are seeking better career opportunities and training abroad.
In order to facilitate the hearing and resolution of the Claimants/Applicants Originating Summons, the court issued an interlocutory order requiring the First and Second Defendants to continue verifying certificates or any other documents requested by the applicants, their other intending colleagues, and other members of the nursing and midwifery profession within seven days of the date of such application.
Ode Evans, the plaintiffs' attorney, informed the court during the hearing on Wednesday that he had only received the first and second defendants' preliminary objections a short while ago.
He begged the judge to postpone the case so he could respond to their requests.
"I verified the application's receipt from the first and second defendants this morning," Evans stated. We will request a date so that we can submit our answers.
However, the matter was postponed until May 20 for a hearing by the judge, Justice Osatohanmwen Obaseki-Osaghae.
She commanded that the Attorney General of the Federation and the Federal Ministry of Health, who were not represented by counsel in court, receive notice of the hearing.
