Resident doctors adamant, as negotiation is deadlocked

The two-day negotiation meeting initiated by the House of Representatives with a view to ending the ongoing nationwide strike by National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) has ended in a deadlock.

After over six hours meeting, Federal Government’s delegation led by the Minister of State for Health, Senator Olorunmimbe Mamora, threatened to follow the bureaucratic due process on the verification of names of resident doctors before the payment of the N5.42 billion outstanding residency training for 2020 and 2021, impose sanction over recruitment of medical personnel without following due process despite the emergency situation and implementation of circular on the removal of House Officers from Scheme of Service.

On its part, the NARD delegation led by Dr. Okhuaiahesuyi Uyilawa promised not to suspend the nationwide strike until all the 17-point demands are met, called for immediate payment of salary arrears and skipping arrears from 2014 to 2016 which amounted to N23 billion.

It also called for the immediate withdrawal of the circular on the removal of House Officers from Scheme of Service as well as regularisation of employment of some of the resident doctors employed by public hospitals during emergency situation and arising from migration of medical personnel to greener pastures.

While alleging that Federal Government has over the past five years used the court injunction to evade payment of the arrears, the NARD president alleged that the lawyer engaged to verify the status of the court injunction being paraded was not found in the court record.

Also speaking, former NARD President. Dr. Adamu Askira, disclosed that most of the State Hospitals are manned by serving NYSC doctors, adding that all the stakeholders rejected the circular

In his presentation, Dr. Uyilawa who frowned on the ‘No work, no pay’ circular issued last week Monday, said that the letter was “a judgment against us because of the strike and your legal people advised you, which was a wrong judgment.”

In his presentation, Director General of Budget Office of the Federation, Ben Akabueze, maintained that payment of arrears cannot be done without following due process, adding that he cannot give any assurance on fast-tracking the NARD’s request at the expense of other MDAs submitted for payment on moral ground.

While speaking, Hon. Sununu directed the ministry to provide all the legal documents relating to the court ruling on the salary arrears and other sundry matters, just as he tasked the Ministry to apply for accelerated hearing for this case.

He also frowned on the undue timeline ranging between 8 and 12 months for processing of waiver application for employment and regularization of medical personnel, noting that necessary measures should be put in place to fast-track the processes considering the urgent of the issues at stake.