Abia Assembly Moves to Resolve Leadership Tussle in LGA Health Authorities
Korede Abdullah 
UMUAHIA, Nigeria – The Abia State House of Assembly has stepped up efforts to resolve the lingering leadership dispute between nurses and community health practitioners within local government health authorities across the state.
The intervention follows a petition submitted by the Community Health Practitioners of Nigeria, seeking greater recognition in the appointment of heads of local government health authorities.
Presenting the report of the House Committee on Health on Tuesday, Chairman Emeka Obioma Tommy explained that community health practitioners are trained and licensed by the Community Health Practitioners Registration Board of Nigeria to deliver community-based healthcare services, while nurses are regulated by the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria and primarily trained for clinical and institutional care.
Tommy emphasised that both professional groups play indispensable roles in the healthcare system despite having different statutory responsibilities and areas of expertise.
He noted that appointments into leadership positions should be guided by professional qualifications, seniority, years of service and personnel availability.
According to him, community health officers currently head most primary healthcare facilities across Abia’s local government areas.
The committee, however, recommended greater transparency and fairness in appointments and postings to reduce professional rivalry and improve healthcare delivery at the grassroots.
It also proposed quarterly reviews of leadership arrangements while advocating balanced representation among all healthcare professional cadres.
“Community health practitioners and nurses are essential to healthcare delivery,” Tommy said, stressing that effective collaboration remains critical to strengthening primary healthcare services.
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Edino Chubiyo Cornelius 
Oluwatobi Adu 