Resume work or risk sanction – Court orders resident doctors

Earlier today, an Industrial Court of Nigeria, sitting in Abuja ordered the striking resident doctors across the country to resume work with immediate effect.

Justice Bashar Alkali, while ruling on an interlocutory injunction filed by Toochukwu Maduka (SAN) on behalf of the Federal Government of Nigeria, based his judgement on the prevailing health cases of Nigerians and the need for the doctors to resume duties as essential workers in curtailing the waves of COVID-19.

Resident doctors in Nigeria have embarked on strike since August 2, 2021, demanding that the federal government should review the memorandum of understanding and other agreements reached with the body.

But the federal government, through the Ministry of Health, filed an application before the Court on 20th August, 2021, seeking an injunction to restrain the striking doctors from continuing with their industrial actions.