Resident doctors suspend strike as FG paya N8.9bn allowances

On Thursday, the National Association of Resident Doctors suspended its ongoing nationwide strike which commenced on September 7, 2020, TopNaija reports.

The President of NARD, Dr. Aliyu Sokomba, said the suspension of the industrial action was to give the Federal Government time to address its demands.

He said, “Following our meeting yesterday (Wednesday) with government, we had a National Executive Council meeting and resolved to once again suspend our strike to allow government time to address our demands. So the strike is suspended to be reviewed in two weeks time.”

The Federal Government had on Wednesday set a two weeks timeline for the payment of the N4 billion Medical Residency Training for 2020 to striking resident doctors, and a Memorandum of Understanding signed by all parties involved.

The Accountant – General of the Federation, Ahmed Idris was given the task to effect the quick payment of the money to the doctors, which among other agreement set the tone for the likely call – off of the strike

The Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr. Chris Ngige who read the outcome of a meeting held Wednesday, said the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd), has approved additional N8,901,231,773.55 to pay up the large chunk of the June 2020 COVID – 19 allowance to all medical health workers.

He said the government would soon commence a review of a permanent hazard allowance for all health workers after consultations with all stakeholders.

“We noted that the 2020 Appropriation Act was revised due to Covid-19 pandemic, the N4bn appropriated for Residency Training under a wrong heading for Medical Residency Training is to be vired before expenditure.

Meanwhile, the Joint Health Sector Unions has said it would embark on strike if its demands were not met by September 14.

Speaking during a conciliation meeting with the Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr Chris Ngige, in Abuja on Thursday, the National Chairman, JOHESU, Dr Biobelomoye Josiah, noted that it was unfair to meet six out of eight demands of the resident doctors and none of the union. He accused the Federal Government of bias.

The union was demanding an upward review of COVID-19 special inducement and hazard allowances; the payment of all withheld salaries; adjustment of Consolidated Medical Salary Structure since 2014; the implementation of the National Industrial Court consent judgment and a revamp of the structural and infrastructural decay in the health sector.

But reacting to Josiah’s statement, the minister described the threat of an industrial strike by the union as distasteful, especially “in this time of a global pandemic.”

Ngige said the government was not insensitive to their plight, adding that it was doing all it could to fulfil their demands with the available resources.

He noted, “The threat to go on strike is not the answer and the government has done a lot with the little resources available. You should put the interest of the patients above every other interest that matters to you.”