The Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) on Thursday countered claims by the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment that the Nigerian government has met the majority of the union’s demands, describing the government’s claims as “inaccurate” and “a deliberate attempt to mislead the Nigerian public.” The government had insisted that the administration had already met nearly all the demands, urging the union to respect the laws of the country and immediately suspend its ongoing nationwide strike, which began on 1 November.
In a statement, the Ministry of Labour and Employment had claimed to have resolved “nineteen out of the twenty demands” listed by NARD. The Minister, Dr Mohammad Maigari Dingyadi, warned that the association was violating labour laws by continuing the strike despite ongoing conciliation efforts, and listed met demands, including the “25%/35% upward review of CONMESS and the 2024 Accoutrements Allowances of the Association,” stating that payment “has commenced up to December 2024.”
However, NARD, in a statement signed by its President, Dr Mohammad Suleiman, and other officials, said its Extra-Ordinary National Executive Council (NEC) meeting had reviewed the government’s position and found that “not a single one of its 19 core demands has been fully or verifiably met.” The union asserted: “What the Ministry characterises as progress is, in fact, unfulfilled promises, uncommenced payments, and newly formed committees, a familiar cycle of delay and deception that prompted this strike in the first place.”
NARD refuted the claim that payment for the reviewed CONMESS and accoutrement allowances had commenced, saying: “Our members across the country have not received these payments. Similarly, the claim of working to reconcile omissions and failed payments is an admission of an unresolved problem, not its solution. An announcement of intent is not a substitute for a credited salary.” Regarding outstanding arrears, the union described the Ministry’s explanation that lists were being compiled for hospitals as “a startling admission of inaction,” confirming a “crippling lack of urgency and implementation.”
The association also faulted the government’s reliance on committees to address issues such as manpower shortages and the disengagement of doctors at Federal Teaching Hospital (FTH) Lokoja, stating: “Constituting a committee is not a resolution; it is often a bureaucratic tool for indefinite postponement.” NARD also rejected the Ministry’s claim that the association had refused to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), insisting it would not endorse an agreement “that is built on a foundation of unfulfilled promises and lacks clear, binding, and time-bound deliverables.” NARD reiterated that its nationwide, total, indefinite strike would continue until its minimum demands, including the immediate reinstatement of the five disengaged doctors at FTH Lokoja, payment of corrected professional allowances and all outstanding arrears, and full implementation of the one-for-one replacement policy, are met.
