The federal government has settled hazard and inducement allowance worth about N4.5 billion to 31 teaching hospitals and federal medical centres.
Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr Chris Ngige, disclosed this after a meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari at the presidential villa, Abuja on Friday.
The meeting was over the ongoing strike by resident doctors in the country.
Flanked by his Health counterpart, Dr Osagie Ehanire and the Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Festus Keyamo, he said the money is for arrears of April and May.
Ngige stated: “Just this morning, before we went to see Mr President, the Ministry of Finance reported that as at this morning, 3 am, they have paid the allowances for hazard and inducement to 31 teaching and Federal Medical Centres and special hospitals of the federal government service and they have expended close to N4.5 billion in the payment because we are paying them the arrears of April and May.
“The payment for June will also be done immediately these ones are sorted out.
“Again, it’s important to report to you that in consonance with what he Health Minister) is saying, we have arranged a meeting for them (striking resident doctors) to speak to the Nigerian Governors’ Forum because you don’t mix apples and oranges.
“The issue of health is on the concurrent list. So, the federal government will do its own and the state government will be expected to do their own.
“Some of their grievances border on what they feel the state governments have not done.”
The minister was hopeful that the strike action embarked upon by the doctors under the National Association of Resident Doctors) of Nigeria (NARD), will end soon.
The association had on Sunday directed its members begin strike action over shortage of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and poor remuneration for members amid a battle against Covid-19 pandemic.
In his remark, Ehanire expressed the hope that a solution could soon be found to the strike action as he urged the association to trust the government.
The Health Minister stated: “We hope that there is a solution in sight; what we have done is to brief the President of the country, who as we all know has the final responsibility for everything that goes on in government. Those of us who are Ministers administer our ministries and have to report to him periodically.
“In this particular case, it has been important to report to him how things have been because of the strike action of resident doctors. We have to report to him the implications and the possible consequences of such a strike action.
“He listened to us carefully, of course, he is not happy that it has come this way and we all hope that it would be resolved after all the demands that were made have been resolved.
“The Minister of Labour has listed those demands and how all of them have been fulfilled except those of them which are not within our ambit. If the Association of Resident Doctors has a quarrel with a State government, the Ministry can put in a word for them but we cannot order any State to do anything.
“All those things that have to do with disciplinary action within the Ministry of health will be attended to and what we have also urged the resident doctors to do is to have some trust in the system. This is a government, a regime that has always lived up to its expectations and always met its promise and not lumps all regimes together in one box.”
Ehanire appealed to the doctors to return to work so as to save lives, especially in the fight against Covid-19 and other diseases.
While speaking on the ongoing strike by members of the Academic Staff Union of University (ASUU), Ngige urged them to embrace Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information (IPPIS) pending the resolutions of all issues on the University Transparency and Accountability Solution (UTAS).
Recall that ASUU declared a strike action to protest, among others, government’s plan to move them into IPPIS, which it argued was against the autonomy of the university system.
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