29th May, 2012
The National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) has given the Federal Government a 14-day ultimatum to prevail on the Lagos State Government to recall sacked doctors and implement earlier agreements or face an indefinite nationwide strike.
NARD’s National President, Dr Chiedozie Achonwa, made the announcement at a news conference in Abuja on Monday.
“NARD has resolved to perfect its mandate by giving the Federal Government a 14-day ultimatum, commencing from May 28, to prevail on the Lagos State Government to recall these doctors and implement earlier agreements or face an indefinite nationwide strike by all resident doctors in Nigeria in solidarity with our striking colleagues in Lagos State.
“By ensuring that all state and federal hospitals all over the nation remain closed until all our colleagues in Lagos State get reprieve, NARD will also proceed on a three-day warning strike from May 31 to June 2.”
Achonwa said that the actions of the Lagos State Government was against the permissible dispute resolution procedure, hence the need for the doctors to be reinstated.
He said that NARD would continue to work closely with the Nigerian Medical Association to seek a speedy and amicable resolution of the conflict.
The association president said that doctors in Nigeria had the right to make rightful demands in line with their professional duties, arguing that such demands should not be met with dismissal.
He said that the association had also observed that there had not been any budgetary allocation for residency training in Nigeria, in spite of assurances from the minister of health.
The Lagos government sacked 788 doctors for embarking on strike and for failing to respond to queries they were issued.
NARD is an organisation of medical doctors in all the university teaching hospitals in Nigeria.