Governors wade into resident doctors’ strike

[By VICTOR NZE]

Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) has resolved to take a mediatory role in order to resolve the near month-long industrial action embarked upon by members of the Nigeria Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) across the country.

A communiqué issued by its NGF Chairman and Governor of Ekiti State, Dr Kayode Fayemi at the end of its virtual 33rd conference, Wednesday, stated that the forum deliberated on several issues of national importance, including the strike.

It noted that the governors resolved to take a mediatory role in the industrial crises in order to facilitate dialogue between NARD as well as the affected States.

The communiqué issued on Thursday, August 26, by NGF said that the resolution followed an update by Dr Ahmad Abdulwahab, the NGF Senior Health Advisor, regarding the ongoing strike.

The resolve to intervene in the crisis may have been informed by earlier claims by the Federal Government that most of the demands put forward by the striking doctors were the responsibility of state governments to address.

Medical professionals under the aegis of the National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) had declared an industrial action since, August 2 to press home their demands for implementation of the Memorandum of Understanding it reached with the Federal Government in March 2021 on welfare and other issues that affect members.

In absolving the Federal Government of responsibility for the strike by the resident doctors, Minister of Health, Dr. Osagie Ehanire, had in Abuja, August 7, during a press briefing on Federal Government’s response to the five-day old industrial action, faulted the medical practitioners, whom he accused of using the anxiety surrounding the third wave of COVID-19 to push forward their demands.

The minister’s present position amounts to a U-turn, as he had in a statement, earlier said the ministry is engaging the striking doctors to resolve the issues quickly, adding that medical directors should ensure service delivery is not disrupted.

According to the minister, seven out of the 12 demands presented by NARD were within the jurisdiction of the state governments, insisting that these were not justifiable cause for a nationwide strike.

“In their notice of July 25, 2021, they mentioned states like Imo, Kaduna, Delta and Lagos. The Federal Government cannot force these states to do anything.

“For the issues surrounding the Federal Government, not all of these issues are for the Ministry of Health. The payment lies within the powers of the Accountant General of the Federation. We are also working with other agencies to sort out some of these issues.”

Only last week, the striking doctors rejected a new Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) brokered by Nigeria Medical Association (NMA) in negotiations with the Federal Government, signaling continuation of the near month old industrial action.

President of the association, Uyilawa Okhuaihesuyi, refused to assent to the MoU as a result of a clause which he noted was included in the new deal, adding that he needed to confer with his members before agreeing to it.

Okhuaihesuyi said NARD’s leadership will have to consult with members of the association before appending his signature.

Speaking with journalists at the end of a meeting held behind closed doors for over six hours, Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige, said all other unions in the negotiation, including the Nigeria Medical Association and the Medical and Dental Consultants of Nigeria, signed the new agreement, having agreed on all the issues raised.

The minister however that the meeting did not discuss the issues of ‘no work, no pay,’ but said all parties at the meeting agreed to an out-of-court settlement.

The federal government had dragged the striking doctors before the National Industrial Court, asking it to mandate the doctors to return to work.

NARD members are protesting salary shortfalls stretching over months, failure to pay some doctors COVID-19 allowances and shortages of manpower in hospitals were among the reasons that had pushed its members to strike.

Uyilawa said his union represented 16,000 resident doctors out of a total of 42,000 doctors in Africa’s most populous country.