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Striking doctors slammed with ‘no work, no pay’ rule

Published

5 years ago

August 13, 2021

Trends Admin

– Resident doctors summoned by Industrial Court ‘We won’t surrender’

– Strike not best option to seek action, governors’ forum cautions medics

Resident doctors on strike will no longer be paid as long as they continue to stop work, the Federal Government said.

This follows the invocation of the “no work, no pay” rule, which Minister of Health Dr. Osagie Ehanire said is necessary because “the doctors have no basis for going on strike at this time”.

He added that “no work no pay” rule is recognised by the International Labour Organisation (ILO).

Already, the Federal Government has taken the doctors to the Industrial Court to show cause why government should continue to pay them while they are on strike.

The doctors said they would not back off from the strike and would be at the Industrial Court on Monday.

Ehanire, speaking at a briefing organised by the Presidential Media Team in Abuja, told the doctors, who started their strike on August 2, that the country is currently facing a virulent third wave of COVID-19 pandemic, and cholera outbreak, which has claimed hundreds of lives and an emerging Marburg virus in neighbouring vicinities.

The minister, who was accompanied to the briefing by heads of three agencies under the Ministry of Health; Professor Mojisola Adeyeye of the National Agency For Food Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC); Dr Chikwe Ihekweazu, of National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC); and Dr Faisal Shuibu of National Primary Healthcare Development Agency (NPHCDA).

The minister noted that most of the demands raised by the striking doctors were under the jurisdiction of state governments.

“We have said openly that this is not a good time for doctors to go on strike. We’re having a strike for the third time this year that is not good. We have appealed to them. We have been having long meetings with young doctors to tell them that look we have a certain responsibility to our country.

“Every country in difficult situation at this time should understand that responsibility is on all of us if you have any problem, any grudge let’s talk about it. If we can’t solve it now, let’s continue talking about it until we fine solution but don’t drop work.

“I think Nigeria is probably the only country in the world today where doctors are dropping work in the middle of a threat to the whole country. So that’s what we have advised. There has been no threat. Nobody threatened anything. We are just appealing, all of us are doctors, all of us went through the same residency.

”We’re saying this is not the time let’s continue to talk about it. Do not put people’s lives at risk. That’s what the Minister of Labour has been saying, that is what the Minister of Health has been saying. Nobody has threatened anybody with anything.”

Ehanire declared the ‘no work, no pay’ rule as a standard thing. That’s International Labour Organisation, ILO recommendation that if you did not work, then why will you take your salary from taxpayers money. So, if you did not work, why should you be paid? Because if that is so you can be encouraged to stay home for six months and your salary is running from public funds, from tax payers money, when you have not given the community any service.

“So, that no work, no pay is not just the government’s regulation, it is specifically stated in International Labour Organisation that if you do not work, if you have not given any service, you can’t expect regulation. Because you can’t go to market and buy something for nothing. You must put down something, you must put down work.

“You cannot go to market and take goods without paying. So, if you work, you will be paid. And we are strongly in support of government meeting its obligations to pay what is agreed.

“But, we cannot go against what the ILO says, pay people that did not go to work. I mean, I think before God and man you can defend that position, but there is no question of threats. These young doctors are professionals, not just professionals, they are young people who we need to also mentor and treat well, to the best of all our capacity here”, he explained.

*Fighting Delta variant

Speaking on fighting the spread of the Delta variant of COVID-19 in the country, the minister said a lockdown will not be an immediate strategy, citing the extreme effect of lockdowns on the economy and everyday life.

He also assured Nigerians that the new variant does not currently pose the sort of threat that might warrant a lockdown of any form.

According to him, countries around the world have now become circumspect about imposing total lockdowns as it was seen at the onset of the outbreak, adding that administrators would rather employ precision lockdowns on specific areas of the country under threat.

“Now, as for the lockdown, lockdown is a very, very last measure that countries are taking because our lockdown stifles economic activity, restricts your own freedom and your business, both corporate business, government business, private business all are affected. So, it looks like something you do easily.

“Of course, when we were compelled to have that lockdown at the beginning, we learnt a lot of lessons. You know, at that time government provided palliatives to relieve the impacts of it; if you couldn’t go to market, if you couldn’t do your business. But this is not what government is aiming to do, no government wants to do a lockdown.”

Executive Director of the NPHCDA, Dr, Faisal Shuaib, reaffirmed the plan to procure 40 million doses of Johnson & Johnson COVID-19vaccines at the cost of $298.5 million.

He said government had received 176,000 doses of the Johnson & Johnson vaccines as the first instalment out of the almost 40 million ordered. He said 2.3 per cent of eligible Nigerians have been vaccinated.

The Director-General of NAFDAC, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, explained that recent delays associated with the application of Moderna vaccines donated by the United States Government was as a result of laboratory testing, where some insignificant quantities had bar-coding errors, which had to be sorted.

She said the agency had been working round the clock to resolve the slight hitches which had nothing to do with the vaccine quality.

She also said in the previous vaccination, 12,000 Nigerians reported mild side effects.

*Delta variant now dominant

The Director-General of the NCDC, Dr. Chikwe Ihekweazu, noted that the cases of COVID-19 recently sequenced in Nigeria are Delta variant, which he said had made it the dominant variant in the country.

News

Yemi Osinbajo Appointed Senior Strategic Adviser to Africa CDC

Published

2 days ago

April 7, 2026

Trends Admin

Former Nigerian Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo

Yemi Osinbajo Appointed Senior Strategic Adviser to Africa CDC

Former Nigerian Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo has been appointed as Senior Strategic Adviser to the Director-General of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), as the agency pushes forward the continent’s Africa Health Security and Sovereignty (AHSS) agenda.

The appointment, announced on Monday, comes at a critical time as Africa CDC seeks to enhance health systems, boost domestic financing, expand local production of medical supplies, and strengthen Africa’s influence in global health governance. In this role, Osinbajo will provide strategic guidance on pandemic preparedness, sustainable healthcare financing, policy direction, and continental collaboration.

Director-General Jean Kaseya praised Osinbajo’s wealth of experience, highlighting his expertise at the intersection of governance, finance, law, and diplomacy. “At a time when Africa must act with greater authority on the future of health, his leadership will be invaluable,” Kaseya said. He added that Osinbajo’s appointment reflects Africa CDC’s commitment to mobilising top African leadership in service of the continent’s health security and development.

Yemi Osinbajo Appointed Senior Strategic Adviser to Africa CDC

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Iran Lists Tough Conditions for Peace Talks with US

Published

2 days ago

April 7, 2026

Trends Admin

Iran Lists Tough Conditions for Peace Talks with US

By Agency Report

Iran has outlined a set of strict preconditions for engaging in negotiations with the United States aimed at achieving a lasting peace, signalling a hardening of its stance amid ongoing hostilities in the Middle East.

According to a senior Iranian official who spoke to Reuters, Tehran is insisting on an immediate halt to U.S. military strikes, alongside firm guarantees that such attacks will not be repeated, as a prerequisite for any talks.

The official also disclosed that Iran is demanding compensation for damages suffered during the conflict, underscoring the country’s position that any future negotiations must address the consequences of the ongoing war.

In a further indication of its firm posture, Iran has rejected proposals for a temporary ceasefire, maintaining that only a comprehensive and permanent peace agreement would be acceptable.

Tehran is also pushing for new arrangements regarding the strategic Strait of Hormuz, including the right to impose transit fees on vessels passing through the vital global oil shipping route. The proposed fees, according to the official, would vary depending on the type of vessel, its cargo, and prevailing conditions.

The development comes amid intensified diplomatic efforts led by regional mediators, including Pakistan, to broker a ceasefire between the two sides. A U.S.-backed proposal for a 45-day truce has reportedly been put forward as a stepping stone toward broader negotiations, though Tehran has dismissed the idea as insufficient.

Tensions between the two countries remain high, with both sides holding firm to their positions. Analysts say Iran’s demands reflect a broader strategy to secure long-term guarantees and reshape the terms of engagement in the region, rather than accept short-term de-escalation measures.

With neither side showing signs of compromise, prospects for immediate negotiations appear uncertain, raising concerns about further escalation and its implications for global security and energy markets.

Iran Lists Tough Conditions for Peace Talks with US

News

Tinubu Unveils ₦3.3tn Electricity Bailout to Revive Nigeria’s Power Sector

Published

4 days ago

April 6, 2026

Trends Admin

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu

Tinubu Unveils ₦3.3tn Electricity Bailout to Revive Nigeria’s Power Sector

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has approved a sweeping ₦3.3 trillion power sector bailout aimed at clearing long-standing debts and stabilising Nigeria’s struggling electricity industry.

The intervention, implemented under the Presidential Power Sector Financial Reforms Programme, is designed to resolve liabilities accumulated between February 2015 and March 2025, following a comprehensive verification process.

Presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga disclosed that the ₦3.3 trillion electricity debt settlement represents a full and final agreement to restore financial stability across the sector. He explained that the debts, largely driven by unpaid invoices, tariff shortfalls, and subsidy obligations, had significantly weakened liquidity in the power value chain.

Implementation of the power sector debt repayment plan has already commenced, with 15 generation companies signing settlement agreements worth about ₦2.3 trillion. The Federal Government has raised ₦501 billion so far to fund the initiative, out of which ₦223 billion has already been disbursed, while additional payments are ongoing.