Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige says following a directive from President Muhammadu Buhari, to resolve all issues without belabouring technicality, he is compelled to meet again with the doctors, after haven’t approached the National Industrial Court to enforce “No Work, No Pay” policy on striking resident doctors
The Minister made this revelation at an ongoing meeting in Abuja with the Nigerian Medical Association, NMA, and the National Association of Resident Doctors, NARD.
Ngige who is with the Minister of State for Health, Olurunnibe Mamora, says the National Industrial Court, NIC agreed on NARD to return to talks in alternative dispute resolution mediation.
While expressing confidence that after today’s meeting, the ongoing strike will be called off, the two Ministers who are leading the government team insisted on the doctors placing the patients first.
President of the Nigerian Medical Association, Professor Innocent Ujah, said the lingering issue between the Federal Government and resident doctors are totally avoidable, insisting, however, that there is no pretence that all is well.
Ujah argued that the NMA was not carried along in the 20-day old strike, adding that no doctor is trained to go on strike for it paints doctors in a bad light and encourages brain drain.
Before going into a closed-door, Ngige clarified that the NMA has never been sidelined, following the previous agreement reached, stressing that it’s not also correct to mention that the government of President Buhari does not honour the agreement.