Resident doctors strike continues, we’re unaware of court sitting – NARD

The National Association of Resident Doctors says it is not of the verdict of the National Industrial Court on Monday, which directed the striking doctors and the government “to suspend all forms of hostilities and maintain status quo.”

President of the NARD, Uyilawa Okhuaihesuyi, stated this in reaction to the court ruling, insisting that the strike would continue until their demands were met by the government.

“We are not aware that the matter came up. We are just hearing it from news platforms and that is why we did not appear before the court,” he said.

After Justice John Targema’s ruling on Monday, the Ministry of Labour and Employment issued a statement announcing that the court already ordered the doctors to resume work.

The statement, which was signed by the ministry’s spokesperson, Charles Akpan, said the presiding judge granted the order of interlocutory injunction, “compelling all members of the ^{defendants/respondents in all the states of the federation to suspend the} said industrial action.”

“The court held that the continued downing of tools by the striking doctors has inflicted a lot of damage on the health system and the sick, especially in this perilous time of COVID-19 pandemic,” the statement added.

Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige, who described the court ruling as a welcome development, reaffirmed that it would not “prevent the Federal Ministry of Health, Federal Ministry of Finance, Budget Office of the Federation (BOF), Office of the Head of Service of the Federation (OHOCSF) and the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission (NSIWC) from the implementation of the agreements contained in the MoU reached at the last meeting with the NMA and affiliate associations with timelines affixed to them.”