By Ayomide Otitoju
The Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) on Thursday outlined conditions that must be met by the Federal Government before its ongoing strike can be suspended.
Speaking on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief, NARD President Dr. Mohammed Suleiman said the federal government must fully implement items previously agreed upon in the association’s Memorandum of Understanding (MOU). Key demands include the reinstatement of the “Lokoja 5,” release and implementation of the professional allowance table, payment of promotion and salary arrears, specialist allowances for Conmess 5 officers, and resolution of membership certificate issues.
Dr. Suleiman explained that NARD has 19 demands in total, and three conciliation meetings have already been held with the government. “There is nothing new on the table; these are issues that have lingered for years, and previous agreements have repeatedly been flouted,” he said.
On promotion arrears, Suleiman noted that doctors promoted as far back as 2018 have yet to receive their entitlements. While the government agreed to compile the arrears and submit them to the Finance Ministry for a payment plan, the association is unsure whether the compilation has been completed.
Regarding salary arrears, some doctors are owed between three and 20 months. Although the arrears compilation was completed and verified last Friday, it has not yet been forwarded to the Ministry of Finance or Budget Office for processing, contrary to assurances from Finance Minister Wale Edun.
Suleiman described the professional allowance table issue as “an injustice of over seven years,” noting that doctors currently receive only 45 to 60 percent of their allowances. Despite agreements to release and implement the tables, delays persist.
He also criticized the government’s approach to the MOU, arguing that suspending the strike without guarantees allows the authorities to alter the implementation timeline. “We signed the MoU, suspended the strike, and in two weeks, we began to hear another story,” Suleiman said.
NARD insists that until all agreed items are fully implemented, the strike will continue.
