The Nation Newspaper

Tag: nationwide strike

  • Resident doctors to begin nationwide strike on June 9

    The National Association of Resident Doctors of Nigeria (NARD) will start a nationwide strike on Thursday, June 9, the National President, Dr Muhammad Askira, has announced.

    Askira told newsmen in Kano on Tuesday that the decision was taken at the ordinary general meeting of the National Executive Council of the association held between May 30 and June 5 in Jos.

    He said “16 out of 58 federal tertiary institutions or centres were exempted from the initial centre based strike for the commitment of the Chief Medical Director of the hospitals to implement the Federal Government’s directives.’’

    He said if by midnight of Sunday, June 19, their demands were not met, all the members of the association, including those exempted, would join the indefinite nationwide strike.

    Askira said the association found it necessary to take the painful decision following the inability of the government to meet its demands.

    “Due to the failure of the government to address the demands of NARD, it has declared a total and indefinite strike.

    “NARD has to take this painful decision in order to highlight the plight of our hardworking members who have had to endure a long period of deprivation and disenfranchisement,” he said.

    He said the association would continue to be open to discussion and ready to partner government to ensure effective health care service delivery to Nigerians.

  • Resident doctors threaten nationwide strike over unpaid wages in eight states

    The National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) has threatened to embark on nationwide strike to protest unpaid wages of its members in eight states.

    The President of the association, ýDr Dan-Jumbo Prince, stated this yesterday while addressing journalists in Ibadan on the healthcare situation at the Ladoke Akintola University Teaching Hospital (LAUTH).

    “Some state governments are owing our members their wages in Abia State ýfor 12 Months, Osun State for eight months, Oyo for six months, Benue for six months, Lagos for two months, while in Rivers, Kogi and Plateau states, they are owing them four months salaries,” he said.

    Prince wondered how the governments of the affected states expect doctors to deliver safe, quality and effective healthcare to the people in the face of economic hardship.

    The NARD boss said: “Embarrassment has been our lot in our children’s schools, from our landlords and even in the market because we have no money for food or for means of transport to work.”

    Using the situation in Oyo State as a case study, he said: “Our members in LTH, Ogbomoso are yet to receive any salary since the beginning of this year, culminating in over five months unpaid salaries. With this, the Oyo State Government is deliberately and systematically killing LTH, Ogbomoso.

    “We therefore appeal to Governor Abiola Ajimobi, well-meaning citizens of Nigeria and human rights organisations to wade into the ugly situation at LTH, Ogbomoso, Oyo State, so as to ensure adequate healthcare for the citizens of the state,” he said.

    He gave the state governments that are owing NARD members two weeks to pay up, failing which the association will embark on a nationwide strike.

  • Doctors begin nationwide strike on Dec 18

    THE Nigeria Medical Association (NMA) is to begin a five-day nationwide warning strike on Wednesday.

    NMA also threatened to start an indefinite strike, if its demands were not met.

    The association’s President Osahon Enabulele said this in Minna, Niger State, yesterday after the National Executive Committee meeting and an Emergency Delegates’ Congress.

    He said the association was constrained to declare the industrial action due to the poor progress in the resolution of its demands after several ultimatums to the Federal Government.

    “For now, what we have issued as a test to the commitment of government is a warning strike.

    “We hope the Federal Government would use this opportunity to address the issues because if this fails, we may have no choice than to declare a total strike.

    “We feel the Federal Government is either taking us for a ride or our strategy is not appreciated.

    “Handling our issues with levity is what has led us to declare this warning strike.”