Resident Doctors Reject FG’s Claims, Insist Strike Will Continue

The Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) on Thursday dismissed assertions by the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment that the government had resolved 19 of the 20 issues raised in the ongoing doctors’ strike. The association described the ministry’s statements as “inaccurate,” “misleading,” and an attempt to misrepresent the status of negotiations.

While the ministry recently claimed progress on demands such as a 25–35 per cent review of the Consolidated Medical Salary Structure (CONMESS) and the payment of 2024 accoutrement allowances, NARD refuted these assertions. The association insisted that none of the 19 core demands had been “fully or verifiably met,” with no member having received the revised salaries or allowances. “An announcement of intent is not a substitute for a credited salary,” the statement emphasized.

NARD also criticized the government’s continued reliance on committees to address manpower shortages, alleged casualisation, and the disengagement of doctors at Federal Teaching Hospital (FTH) Lokoja, calling such measures bureaucratic delays rather than solutions. The association further rejected signing any Memorandum of Understanding based on “unfulfilled promises lacking clear, binding, and time-bound deliverables.”

The strike, NARD declared, will continue until minimum demands are met. These include the reinstatement of five disengaged doctors at FTH Lokoja with full compensation, immediate payment of outstanding allowances, full implementation of a one-for-one replacement policy, and resolution of all pending welfare issues. “The health of our nation is in the balance, and the responsibility to restore stability lies squarely with the government,” the association warned.