Strike: Resident Doctors Dismiss FG Claim of Addressing 19 Out of 20 Issues Raised
The Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors has dismissed claims by the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment that the Federal Government has addressed 19 of the 20 issues raised by the association in its ongoing strike.
NARD, in a strongly worded statement on Thursday, described the ministry’s remarks as “inaccurate,” “misleading,” and a deliberate attempt to distort the status of negotiations with the striking doctors.
BusinessDay had reported on Wednesday that the ministry announced significant progress on the doctors’ demands, including a 25–35 per cent upward review of the Consolidated Medical Salary Structure and the payment of 2024 accoutrement allowances, adding that records on the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System indicated that payments had commenced up to December 2024.
Resident doctors, however, debunked the claims, insisting that none of the 19 core demands presented to the government had been “fully or verifiably met.
What the ministry characterises as progress are, in fact, unfulfilled promises, and payments, and newly formed committees, a familiar cycle of delay and deception that prompted this strike in the first place,” the statement signed by NARD President, Dr Mohammad Suleiman; Secretary-General, Dr Shuaibu Ibrahim; and Publicity and Social Secretary, Dr Abdulmajid Yahya Ibrahim, read.
According to NARD, no member of the association has received the reviewed CONMESS payments or the 2024 accoutrement allowance the government claimed to have disbursed.
“An announcement of intent is not a substitute for a credited salary,” the association warned.
NARD also faulted the ministry’s admission that it was still compiling lists of outstanding salaries and allowances in several federal hospitals, including the Federal Teaching Hospital, Lokoja; Federal Medical Centre, Owo; and University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital.
“After years of dialogue, the fact that the government is still at the stage of compiling lists for the budget office confirms our central grievance: a crippling lack of urgency and implementation,” it said.
The association further criticised the government for setting up committees to address manpower shortages, alleged casualisation, and the disengagement of doctors at FTH Lokoja, describing the move as another bureaucratic delay tactic.
“Constituting a committee is not a resolution; it is often a bureaucratic tool for indefinite postponement. Our demand is for the immediate reinstatement of our colleagues in Lokoja and the concrete implementation of a one-for-one replacement policy to curb burnout,” the statement added.
On the government’s claim that NARD refused to sign a Memorandum of Understanding, the association said it would not endorse any agreement “built on a foundation of unfulfilled promises and lacking clear, binding, and time-bound deliverables.”
“The strike will persist until our minimum demands, which constitute the barest minimum for a dignified and sustainable medical practice in Nigeria, are met,” NARD declared.
Its demands include the reinstatement of the five disengaged doctors at FTH Lokoja with full compensation; immediate payment of corrected professional allowances and outstanding arrears; full implementation of the one-for-one replacement policy; and the resolution of all pending welfare issues.
The association accused the government of violating labour laws while urging it to “shift its energy from crafting misleading press statements to undertaking the concrete actions required to resolve this crisis.”
“The health of our nation is in the balance, and the responsibility to restore stability lies squarely with the government,” NARD said.
Source: PUNCH
