Doctor refuse to end strike after 13-hour meeting

The National Association of Resident Doctors on Thursday, refused to call off the strike action embarked on by its union after 13-hour meeting with representatives of the Federal Government in Abuja.

The meeting was held at the federal secretariat in Abuja and it ended in the early hours of Thursday, September 7, the meeting had in attendance Chris Ngige; the minister of labor, Prof Isaac Adewole, minister of health and minister of State for Health, Dr. Osagie Ehanire.

The reports also stated that the strike would continue until Friday. Quoting a statement by the Ministry of labor, the report claimed that the doctors are expected to meet to review the offer by the government. ”The meeting agreed that NARD national officers will present the outcome of the re-negotiated Memorandum of Terms of settlement to an emergency meeting of its members by Friday September 8, 2017 with a view to suspending the strike once there is evidence of payment of the mandate as presented to the meeting, to the affected institutions,” part of the statement read.

The minister of labor and employment, Senator Chris Ngige described the action of the doctors as an act of sabotage, while his counterpart in the health ministry, Professor Isaac Adewole, pleaded with the doctors to return to work and give the federal government time to resolve their grievances.