By Charles Adingupu
Barely three days into the five day warning strike embarked upon by resident doctors in Nigeria, the Federal Government has reached an amicable settlement with the aggrieved doctors.
A statement on Sunday by the spokesman of the Ministry of Labour and Employment, Olajide Oshundun, disclosed that a workable agreement was reached following a conciliation meeting convened by the minister, Dr. Chris Ngige in his office.
“The Federal Government has entered into a Memorandum of Understanding with the Nigeria Medical Association (NMA) and the Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD), geared towards halting the five-day nationwide warning strike of resident doctors,” the statement reads in part.
“In conclusion, the meeting agreed that NARD officers are to present the outcome of the MOU to their members in an emergency meeting within 48 hours with a view to suspending the strike they embarked on last Wednesday, May 17, 2023.”
On the issue of doctors omitted in the payment of Minimum Wage Consequential Adjustment, the meeting resolved that NARD should re-present the list on Monday, May 22 to the Ministry of Health, with annexes of the old submission and same copied to the office of the Minister of Labour and Employment.
The resident doctors had also expressed worry over the plight of their members in Abia State who have reportedly been on strike for several months for perennial non-payment of salaries.
According to the statement, the Federal Ministry of Health (FMoH) took the matter to the National Council on Health (NCoH) in Abuja, and called on the Abia State Government to pay up to enable good health delivery to the people.
The Nigeria Association of Resident Doctors (NARD), had on May 17, 2023 began a warning strike to press home its demands after a 14-day ultimatum to the government lapsed.
The demands include an immediate increment in the Consolidated Medical Salary Structure amounting to 200 percent of their current gross salaries.
The association which complained about the poor disposition of the Federal Government to their predicament, had met with the Senate and House of Representatives Committees on Health and Dr. Ngige, on Friday to deliberate on their demands.
