FG vs NARD: No end to Doctors’ strike yet – NARD
The President of the National Association of Resident Doctors, NARD, Dr Okhuasihesuyi Uyilawa, has called on the Federal Government to honour the Memorandum of Understanding it signed with the association on March 9, 2021, insisting that only a favourable response to their demands would make them call off the ongoing national strike.
Uyilawa stated this in an interview with Signature TV in Abuja at the weekend
The president of the doctors association, Okhuasihesuyi Uyilawa said the issues of welfare, death in service, review of hazard and house allowances, minimum wage adjustment arrears, capturing the names of some of their members in the Federal Government regular payment platforms, among others must be given attention before they would call off the strike.
Responding to the statement by the Minister of Labor and Employment that Nine Point Three Billion Naira was released to pay the death in service insurance, Uyilawa stated that none of the striking doctors has been paid or contacted in that regard
Uyilawa lamented the shortage of doctors in Nigeria’s health facilities as most of them have travelled abroad to continue with their careers, adding that the few available should be adequately rewarded
The president of the doctors’ body further stated that Eight Thousand, Nine Hundred and Five members of the Association have not been captured in the Integrated Payroll Personnel Information System IPPIS, with One Hundred and Fourteen members having irregularities in their payment, and are being owed for over Six months
The Minister of Labor and Employment, Dr Chris Ngige had accused the association of not notifying the ministry before embarking on the strike and that most of their demands were state governments’ responsibilities.
Uyilawa however said the association gave the Minister four weeks notice before embarking on the industrial action, adding that all the issues raised are Federal Government responsibilities and not those of the states as alleged by the Federal Government.
The Federal Government has sued the doctors’ association to the National Industrial Court for not declaring a labour dispute before going on strike.
The case which came up on Monday, August the sixteenth was adjourned to September 15th 2021.
