The Zamfara Good Governance Forum has blamed Governor Dauda Lawal Dare for the strike by nurses across Zamfara State, accusing him of reckless and discriminatory leadership.
In a statement signed by its secretary on Friday, Kabiru Ibrahim Gusau, the Forum condemned the governor’s decision to exclude more than 1,000 nurses from the newly approved salary benefits. The increments, it said, were selectively applied to doctors despite repeated appeals from nursing professionals.
“This shameful act of discrimination not only undermines the dignity of nurses but also puts millions of Zamfara citizens at risk,” Gusau said.
The Forum warned that the strike comes at a dangerous time as the state battles a deadly cholera outbreak. With hospitals already stretched, the withdrawal of nursing staff threatens to cripple healthcare services.
“Nurses are the backbone of our health system, and treating them with such disregard is irresponsible. If lives are lost during this outbreak, the blame will rest squarely on Governor Dauda Lawal Dare,” the Forum declared.
Gusau accused the governor of dragging Zamfara’s fragile health sector to the brink of collapse, describing his inaction as a betrayal of public trust.
The Forum urged the governor to act immediately by directing the Ministry of Health to include nurses in the September payroll.
“The time for excuses is over. Zamfara cannot afford a collapsed healthcare system in the middle of a crisis. Governor Lawal must act now, or history will remember him as the man who abandoned his people when they needed him most,” Gusau concluded.