After two days of marathon meetings between the Federal Government and striking resident doctors, the parley ended in the early hours of Sunday without any breakthrough.
This is because the leadership of the striking National Association of Resident Doctors, NARD, refused to sign the new Memorandum of Action brokered by its parent body, the Nigeria Medical Association, NMA.
The NMA’s intervention was to end the resumed strike of the resident doctors which enters the twenty-second day this Sunday.
The NARD President, Uyilawa Okhuaihesuyi, who declined his assent owing to an undisclosed controversial clause insisted the leadership has to get the nod of members before it could append its signature to the document.
Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige, on his part, said all other unions in the negotiation including the NMA and the Medical and Dental Consultants of Nigeria have signed the new agreement.
Ngige disclosed that the meeting did not discuss the issue of ‘No Work No Pay’ but that all parties at the meeting agreed to an out-of-court settlement.