Another Strike similar to ASUU: Resident Doctors Embark On Nationwide Strike

Following the striking ASUU lecturers, the National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) has today commenced an indefinite strike across Nigeria following the failure of the Federal Government to empower residency training in the country.

The strike followed an expiration of a two weeks ultimatum issued by the doctors.

According to the President of the association, Jubril Abdullahi, the had no choice but to strike as a result of the federal government's refusal to meet their demands, and namely to pay the accumulated salaries.

The doctors also complained of the refusal of the government to implement an agreement with the union on the Integrated Payroll Payment System (IPPS).

Some teaching hospitals such as the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH) Idi-Araba, owes its resident doctors more than four months salaries. The LUTH chapter of the group had only suspended an industrial action about two weeks ago.

Besides the IPPS, the doctors also complained of poor funding of residency training of its members by the FG.

According to the association, the persistent unwillingness of the federal government to articulate a comprehensive guidelines for residency training in Nigeria has led to inadequate funding of residency training, citing the failure of the recently re-introduced overseas clinical attachments for resident doctors and of course the incessant industrial disharmony in many training centres as some of the reasons for the resident doctors industrial action.

It will be reminded that NARD had issued the ultimatum on September 16, 2013.