That, they said, followed the federal government’s “failure to fully implement agreed resolutions.”

The decision was said to have been taken at an emergency virtual meeting of the association’s National Executive Council, NEC, held on Friday and conveyed in a statement issued by NARD and obtained from its official X handle “@nard_nigeria”.

The National Officers’ Committee, NOC, said the resumption, tagged “TICS 2.0: No Implementation, No Going Back”, would commence at 12:00 a.m. on January 12.

According to the statement, the NEC directs all centre presidents across the association’s 91 accredited centres to convene congress meetings and thereafter address the media, with the aim of saturating public spaces with information on the planned industrial action within the next seven days.

The association said it would resume the strike alongside a series of coordinated protests, beginning with centre-based demonstrations scheduled to hold from January 12 to January 16.

It added that that would be followed by regional protests to be led by caucus leaders, while a nationwide protest would subsequently be organised by the NARD NOC.

NARD stated that the suspension of the renewed strike would only be considered after the full implementation of what it described as its minimum demands.

These include the re-instatement of the five resident doctors disengaged from the Federal Teaching Hospital, Lokoja; payment of outstanding promotion and salary arrears.

It added that the full implementation of the professional allowance table with arrears captured in the 2026 budget as conditions to be met.

Other demands listed by the association include official clarification on skipping and entry-level placement issues by the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare to chief executives of health institutions.

Included too are the re-introduction and implementation of the specialist allowance; and the resolution of house officers’ salary delays and arrears, alongside the issuance of a pay advisory.

The association also demanded the re-categorisation of membership certificates and issuance of certificates after Part I examinations by the National Postgraduate Medical College of Nigeria.

It demanded the commencement of the locum and work-hours regulation committees, as well as the resumption and timely conclusion of the Collective Bargaining Agreement, CBA, process.

The NOC explained that the one-week window before the resumption of the strike was deliberately provided to allow centres to conduct congress meetings.

It will also enable them engage the media and carry out statutory notifications of the planned protests to security agencies and hospital managements.

The committee expressed appreciation to members for their patience, resilience and continued support, assuring that engagements with relevant stakeholders would be intensified in the coming days.

NARD had on November 29, 2025 suspended a 29-day nationwide strike that began on November 1, following an extraordinary NEC meeting and the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding with the Federal Government.

The association had granted a four-week window for the implementation of its demands, warning that failure to do so would result in the resumption of the strike.

The earlier strike disrupted services in federal and state tertiary health institutions nationwide and was called over unpaid arrears, allowances, stalled promotions, workload concerns and other welfare-related issues affecting resident doctors.

Source: NAN

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The post Resident doctors to resume suspended strike Jan 12 appeared first on Frontpageng.

The association made this known on Saturday in a communique issued at the end of the extra-ordinary council meeting of the National Executive Council, NEC, held in Abeokuta, Ogun State.

The communique was signed by the president, Dr Innocent Orji, the Secretary-General, Dr Kelechi Chikezie and the Publicity and Social Secretary, Dr Musa Umar.

It said that the increment should be to the tune of 200 per cent of the current gross salary of doctors and also be in addition to the new allowances included in the letter written to the Minister of Health in 2022 for the review of CONMESS.

According to the association, it observed that in spite of several engagements with the federal government on the need to upwardly review CONMESS, which was last reviewed over 10 years ago, there were no changes.

“The Federal Government has neither called NARD to the negotiation table nor taken any tangible step in addressing the issue.

“This is against the background of the dwindling economic situation in the country, the serial abysmal decline in the value of the Naira, the imminent removal of fuel subsidy and the consequent damaging effect on the cost of living in the country.

“There have been previous ultimatum issued to the government by NARD on account of this problem of the review of the CONMESS salary structure.”

It added that the previous Collective Bargaining Agreement, CBA, on CONMESS stated clearly that the salary structure would be due for review after five years, but that had not been done since the implementation in 2014, though the approval was given in 2009.

“NEC has resolved to issue the Federal Government a two-week ultimatum beginning on Saturday, April 29, to resolve all these demands, following the expiration of which on May 13, we may not be able to guarantee industrial harmony in the sector nationwide.”

The group also demanded the immediate payment of the 2023 Medical Residency Training Fund, MRTF, in line with the agreements reached at the stakeholders’ meeting convened by the Federal Ministry of Health.

NARD also demanded the commencement of payment of all salary arrears owed to its members including 2014, 2015 and 2016 salary arrears as well as areas of the consequential adjustment of the minimum wage.

“NEC regrettably observed that many state governors are yet to implement the appropriate CONMESS structure, domesticate the Medical Residency Training Act (MRTA) or improve on the hazard allowance paid to our colleagues and other health workers while owing a backlog of salary arrears to our members.

“NEC seriously frowned at these negative developments in the states which have lingered for a long time now, wondering how such state governors get to sleep at night seeing that they are endangering the lives of the citizens of their various states.”

It however urged the immediate implementation of CONMESS, domestication of MRTA, and review of hazard allowance by all the state governments as well as Private Tertiary Health Institutions where any form of residency training is done.

On the issue of compulsory five-year service licensing of doctors being proposed by the House of Representatives, the association vehemently condemned the bill.

It said the bill was seeking to enslave young Nigerian doctors by restricting their fundamental human rights of freedom of choice and movement, adding that such would escalate the challenge of brain drain in the health sector.

It, however, called for the immediate withdrawal and jettisoning of the bill.

The group demanded an immediate massive recruitment of clinical staff in the hospitals and complete abolishment of bureaucratic limitations to the immediate replacement of doctors who leave the system.

“NEC demands immediate infrastructural development in our various hospitals without further delay and insists on at least 15 per cent budgetary allocation to health subsequently.”

Source: NAN

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The association’s president, Dr Dare Ishaya, gave the assurance on Thursday in a telephone interview with the News Agency of Nigeria, NAN.

According to Ishaya, the decision was taken on Wednesday during the association’s extraordinary National Executive Council’s, NEC, meeting.

“When we examined those issues yesterday, we discovered that the 2022 Medical Residency Training Fund (MRTF) had been released and the payment was effected on Tuesday.

“Most of our members have already gotten their alert, the issue of the implementation of the new hazard allowance, we also found out that the Ministry of Finance has approved the release of funds for the payment.

READ ALSO: FG threatens sack as meeting with resident doctors ends in deadlock

“Having critically examined the situation, the NEC resolved that we should step down the ultimatum that was issued to the government and also reaffirm our commitment to continue to deliver adequate and quality health services to the Nigerian populace.”

Ishaya, however, said that the association’s NEC would continue the ongoing negotiations with all relevant authorities to ensure that the other unresolved issues were sorted out amicably.

“We do not want to plunge the Nigerian masses into unnecessary hardship because the hardship in the country is already enough for them so we felt that we should not add to the inflictions that the Nigerian masses are passing through.

“So, the resolution of the emergency NEC meeting is that we should suspend our ultimatum and continue negotiations with the federal government until the other contentious issues are conclusively resolved.”

He added that a communique to that effect would soon be released.

The association had issued several ultimatums to the federal government to implement the payment of the new Hazard Allowance and arrears it stipulated as at December 22, 2021.

The said allowance is contained in the circular issued by National Salaries, Income and Wages Commission (NSIWC) dated Dec. 22, 2021 with reference number SWC/S/04/S.218/11/406.

Other issues include the payment of the skipping arrears for 2014, 2015 and 2016 to deserving members and consequential adjustment of minimum wage to members who were deprived since it was implemented.

Also, the immediate review of the Consolidated Medical Salary Structure, CONMESS, and other related allowances in line with the agreed terms from the previous Collective Bargaining Agreement, CBA.

In July, 2022 NARD had given the federal government a two-week ultimatum to commence payment of the newly-reviewed Medical Residency Training Fund and hazard allowance, among other demands.

The association threatened an indefinite strike if their demands were not met at the end of the two weeks.

However, the ultimatum was extended by another two weeks on August 21, which elapsed on September 5.

In 2021, they had embarked on strike over unavailability of medical equipment in public tertiary hospitals and staff welfare for two months, ignoring order from Industrial Court to call it off.

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The Minister of Labour and Employment, Sen. Chris Ngige, disclosed this on Friday in a letter addressed to NARD and the Federal Ministry of Health.

The minister had given the NARD leadership till the end of work on August 11 to convene a virtual meeting of its National Executive Committee to brief its members on the efforts of government with a view to calling off its strike.

“Whereas trade dispute has arisen and now exists between NARD and the Federal Ministry of Health/Federal Government and whereas efforts to promote settlement through conciliation were ongoing but had now failed.

“Considering the facts that members of NARD who are classified as essential services workers/employees had embarked on strike on August 2, over the issues under conciliation.

“Contrary to the provisions of Section 18 of the Trade Disputes Act CAP T8, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria (LFN) 2004, after attending a Conciliation and Agreement Review meeting on July 22.

“Further considering that the Federal Ministry of Health claims to have and produced evidence to have met most of their demands based on the various Memorandum of Action reached during past conciliations, especially that of July 22.

“Now therefore, I , Sen. Chris Ngige, Minister of Labour and Employment, in exercise of the powers conferred on me by section 17 of the Trades Disputes Act , CAP T8 laws of the Federation of Nigeria.

“I, hereby refer the matter for consideration, and the issues in dispute to the National Industrial Court of Nigeria for adjudication,” he said.

Source: NAN

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President of the association in UCH, Dr Temitope Hussein, told the News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, in Ibadan that the decision was reached after some of their demands had been met.

Hussein said that members of the association being owed had been paid their four months salary arrears, covering January to April.

“We will continue to put pressure on government to make sure that May salary and subsequent ones are paid.

“We will also continue to demand that members yet to be enrolled into Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS) are captured,” he said.

The association had, on May 1, embarked on indefinite strike owing to non-payment of salaries of 215 of its members.

As of May 1 when the strike commenced, the concerned resident doctors were owed four months salary by the federal government.

The association was also protesting non-enrolment of some of its members into IPPIS, which, it said, was affecting payment of their emoluments.

The post UCH resident doctors suspend strike appeared first on Frontpageng.

The MoA was the second in a fortnight. The first one was signed on March 31, but was later rejected by the striking doctors.

Minister of Labour and Employment, Sen. Chris Ngige, said on Saturday in Abuja that the new MoA was signed after a conciliatory meeting between representatives of the federal government and those of NARD.

Ngige said Saturday’s meeting became necessary to amend the first MoA signed with the striking doctors.

He said that there were irregularities in the payment of salaries of House Officers, adding that while some got double payments, a few had not been paid.

“In view of this situation, a five-man committee was set up to harmonise the list of affected officers and they have 72 hours to produce a valid list.

“The list will be submitted to the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System through the Federal Ministry of Health,’’ Ngige said.

He said health institutions affected by the non-payment of salary shortfalls between 2014 and 2016 and arrears arising from the consequential adjustment on the National Minimum Wage, had been directed to forward their personnel strength.

“This is to enable us to accommodate this in the 2021 supplementary budget,’’ he said.

The minister noted that the issue of Hazard Allowance was not peculiar to members of NARD but that it cut across the entire health system.

He said that the Presidential Committee on Salaries, PCS, would meet with the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission on April 12 to examine the Hazard Allowance issue.

The minister added that the NMA, the Joint Health Sector Unions, NARD and other stakeholders would meet on April 14, 2021 with the PCS with their position papers on the issue.

Ngige appealed to NARD to give the conciliation process a chance for industrial peace to prevail by calling off the strike.

NARD President, Dr Okhuaihesuyi Uyilawa, promised to present the latest agreement before members with a view to calling off the strike.

Resident doctors began a nationwide strike on April 1 to demand for improved welfare packages.

Source: NAN

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The resident doctors are also demanding for immediate payment of all salaries owed to all House Officers as well as March salaries not paid before the end of business on March 31.

The President of the association, Dr Uyilawa Okhuaihesuyi, made this known in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, in Abuja.

“We commenced strike today at 8 a.m., we had two meetings with government on March 31, as part of intervention and we had one at 11 a.m. with the Chairman, Senate Committee on Health, Dr Ibrahim Yahya.

“And we had another at 4 p.m with the Minister of Labour and Employment Labour, Dr Chris Ngige, Memorandum of Understanding was brought to us but we need to go and relate with all members of our association,’’ Okhuaihesuyi said.

The president said that was to enable the executive of NARD to look at what possible ways to end the strike and on what they had gained and lost as an association.

“I am just a servant sent to do a job. I am guided by the constitution and NEC members will take the message back, then we will review what we are told.

“Although we know that in most of the memorandum signed with government, the government does not keep or hold to their bargain, if we call off the strike now in a couple of weeks they forget about everything.

“Then we will go back to square one, so we need to review what they have said then we will know the way forward,” he said.

It would be recalled that NARD in a communiqué issued on March 29, at the end of its extraordinary National Executive Council Meeting agreed that it should proceed on a total and indefinite strike on April 1, by 8 a.m.

Other demands are the abolishment of exorbitant bench fees being paid by NARD members on outside postings in all training institutions across the country.

Also, upward review of the current hazard allowance to 50 per cent of consolidated basic salaries of all health workers and payment of  outstanding COVID-19 inducement allowance.

Source: NAN

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Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige, said this in a statement signed by Mr Charles Akpan, Deputy Director, Head, Press and Public Relations in Abuja.

Ngige said that it was imperative for NARD to suspend the industrial action as government had already addressed six out of the eight demands listed by the association.

He said government would reconvene a conciliation meeting between NARD and Federal Ministries of Health, and Finance, Budget and National Planning on Wednesday at the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment to avert the ongoing strike.

According to Ngige, by Labour Laws and International Labour Organisation, ILO Conventions, when issues were being conciliated, all parties were enjoined not to employ arm-twisting methods to intimidate or foist a state of helplessness on the other party; in this case, your employers, the Federal Ministry of Health.

He, therefore, appealed to NARD to respect the country’s laws and suspend its industrial action, while noting that a high percentage of the association’s demands had already been addressed.

“This is coupled with the existence of a pending case in the National Industrial Court of Nigeria (NICN) instituted by two Civil Society groups against NARD, the Attorney -General of the Federation, and the Ministers of Health, and Labour and Employment.

“NARD had no reason to embark on an industrial action,” he said.

He also stated that the groups, Citizens Advocacy for Social Rights, CASER, and Association of Women in Trading and Agriculture, AWITA, had also asked for an interlocutory injunction against further strike by NARD.

He added that all the parties had already appeared and exchanged court processes.

Ngige  said that in spite of lean resources occasioned by the effect of COVID-19 on oil output, the federal government had already spent N20 billion on the Special Hazard and Inducement Allowances for Medical and Health Workers for April, May and June 2020, with a few outstanding payments to some health workers for June 2020.

He also said that the federal government had expended N9.3 billion as premium for Group Life Insurance for Medical and Health workers, as well as for all civil and public servants in federal organisations that are Treasury funded, to run from March 2020 to March 2021.

He disclosed that the federal government had appropriated the sum of N4 billion in the Special Intervention COVID-19, with N500 billion in 2020 appropriation for the funding of Medical Residency Training and intended to do same in the ongoing 2021 Budget.

The minister further stated that N4 billion had been processed for payment.

Ngige also said that the matter between NARD and the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital had been resolved, while the resolution of the issue of state governments not addressing the consequential adjustment to the new minimum wage, and low patronage of Residency programme were ongoing.

He said plans were on for the conciliation meeting between NARD and Federal Ministries of Health, and Finance, Budget and National Planning to be held on Wednesday at the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment.

Source: NAN

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The National President of NARD, Dr. Sokomba Aliyu, gave the ultimatum at a news conference on Saturday in Abuja.

The news conference was called to read a communiqué issued by the association after its six-day virtual National Executive Council, NEC, meeting and scientific conference, held in Gombe recently.

Aliyu told the Federal Government and the National Assembly to investigate what was responsible for the non-enrolment of health care workers in the group life assurance scheme for medical workers.

He also called for the probing of non-payment of death benefits to next of kins of their fallen colleagues, “in spite of claims of payment to insurance companies for the purpose.”

Aliyu said that the association had noted the initial intervention of the House of Representatives’ Committee on Insurance in addressing the non-payment and non-enrolment of resident doctors in the life assurance scheme, which according to him had been abandoned.

The unionist also demanded an immediate and unconditional reinstatement of suspended executives of the association at the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital (UPTH), led by Dr Solomon Amadi.

“NEC notes with dismay the continued administrative rascality and victimisation of its members by the Chief Medical Director of (UPTH), Prof. Henry Ugboma.

“We frown at the suspension of resident doctors, who also double as the legitimate executive council officers of the Association of Resident Doctors in UPTH.”

Aliyu also called for immediate removal of Ugboma for alleged fraud, administrative rascality, unnecessary onslaught, victimisation and abuse of office.

According to him, the association also demanded payment of COVID-19 hazard allowance to its members.

He noted that the association was disappointed that the COVID-19 hazard allowance payment was started only to be abandoned abruptly when NARD suspended its strike.

“NARD demands immediate implementation and funding of the Medical Residency Training Act as agreed.’’

Aliyu said the association also noted with dismay, the non-payment of the salary shortfall for 2014 to 2016, in spite of promises by several stakeholders to intervene, which led to the suspension of the strike.

“NEC demands immediate payment of the arrears and the consequential adjustment of the new minimum wage owed some doctors.

“NARD calls on state governments to implement the Medical Residency Training Act and to ensure adequate remuneration of health workers

“Although the medical residency training funding has been captured in the revised 2020 budget and signed by President Muhammadu Buhari, the implementation of the funding is yet to commence.”

Aliyu called for provision of needed facilities to various hospitals, including supplies of personal protective equipment and funding of tertiary health institutions nationwide.

“We demand that various hospitals should be provided with the funds they need to run their services and ensure adequate healthcare delivery for the populace.

“NEC has resolved to extend the suspension of our strike by three weeks to give government time to address our demands, failure of which will leave us with no choice other than to resume the suspended strike on August 17.”

The theme of the NEC meeting, attended virtually by over 200 members nationwide was: “Targeted Violence against Health Care Workers in Nigeria’s Health Care Facilities: Effects on Health Care Service Delivery.”

Source: NAN

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NARD had embarked on a nationwide strike on Monday to press home its demands for payment of hazard allowance, group life insurance, payment of minimum wage consequential adjustment, among others.

Chris Ngige, Minister of Labour and Employment, during the meeting on Tuesday in Abuja noted that health workers were the essential frontline officers during the COVID-19 pandemic and had suffered great mishaps across the country.

According to him, it was important to make it known that they had reached agreement in many areas and the government side had shown evidence on the payment of the hazard and inducements allowances.

“We have paid those allowances since last night and it was directly paid into the account of recipients. So, we are hopeful that between the IPPIS office and the Central Bank, that before 24 hours they would all be credited for April and May.

“The payment is not for only Resident Doctors, but also for consultants, nurses, pharmacists, physiologist, mortuary attendants, ICU centres, and all health care workers in COVID-19 designated hospitals and all Federal Medical Centres in designate states.

“We assumed that these issues have been solved because IPPIS have shown evidence.

“We have also agreed on matters that are in court, that we should step them down, so that we do not enter areas that are in the purviews of the court.

“Also, on the issue of group life insurance and the employee compensation, we have assured them that they have been paid and we told them they have no right to make claim for the resident doctors or any other health workers that must have had mishap in the cause of work resulting to in death.

“For those who do not die or have mishap or accidents in the cause of their work but became incapacitated, they can always make claims through the Employee Compensation Act, which the Federal Government has already activated,” he said.

Ngige, however, said that the major issues had been taken care of while other minor issues such as the complaints about the Head Dention, Port Harcourt, the appropriation for residence programme, had also been taken care of.

He also noted that the Federal Government had assured the striking doctors that the appropriation for residence programme had been captured in the 2021 budget and would roll over from 2020.

Also, the Minister of Health, Dr Ehanire Osagie, said that Nigeria was the first country in the world where doctors went on strike during a global pandemic.

“The health of Nigerians is very important at this crucial time. We are ready to protect the lives of Nigerians, we are not going to allow our hospitals to fallow.

“The health of Nigerians is very important at this crucial time and the health workforce are essential services, we have pleaded and we have done everything to meet the demands that they have placed on the table.

“We at the Ministry of Health are ready to protect the lives of Nigerians, we are not going to allow our hospitals to fallow. The government has an obligation to support and keep the health of every Nigerians.

“The resident doctors have told us that they are not returning to work very soon until certain conditions are met and they cannot keep extending the goal post any time they like,” he said.

He, therefore, said that certain steps needed to be taken, which involves issuing a directive to all Chief Medical Directors, directors of all Federal hospitals and institutions in the country to open up a register of attendance.

He added that by Wednesday morning 7a.m, they should record all those that come to work and all those who do not come to work will be noted and further actions will be taken.

“Those who report to work will be taken as those who are still in service and the register will be closed at 12 noon and by then we will known who wants to still be in service, ” he said.

Speaking on phone, Dr Aliyu Sokomba, NARD President said that the resident doctors would call of their strike only when government comes up with tangible evidence.

He added that that was the only way that the strike could  be called off within 24 hours.

Source: NAN

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