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Breaking: Resident doctors suspend nationwide strike
Resident doctors under the aegis of Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) have suspended the indefinite strike embarked upon on July 26.
Its National President, Dr Innocent Orji, disclosed this on Friday in Abuja, via a Whatsapp message to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).
According to him, a review will be made in two weeks.
He said “we just suspended the strike. Work to resume by 8 a.m. tomorrow (Saturday, Aug. 12).
“We will review progress made in two weeks.”
This comes after series of interventions by various stakeholders for the association to either embark on the industrial action in the first place or to suspend it earlier.
To avert the industrial action, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rep. Tajudeen Abbas on July 24 urged the resident doctors to suspend the strike.
Abbas made the call at a meeting between the leadership of the House and NARD in Abuja.
He said “I would urge you to suspend the industrial action while we intervene, and seek your understanding of the fact that a new administration just came on board.”
He added that the adminsitration was still in the process of settling down as ministers had yet to assume office.
Also, in addition to the strike, the association had planned to stage protests and picket tertiary health institutions and the Federal Ministry of Health.
However, following the intervention of the Presidency and the Senate President, the protests were suspended.
NAN reports that members of the association embarked on indefinite strike to press home their demands.
The demands include the immediate payment of the 2023 Medical Residency Training Fund (MRTF), immediate release of the circular on one-for-one replacement and payment of skipping arrears.
Others are upward review of Consolidated Medical Salary Structure (CONMESS) in line with full salary restoration to the 2014 value of CONMESS and payment of the arrears of consequential adjustment of minimum wage to omitted doctors.
Also demanded was the reversal of the downgrading of the membership certificate by Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN).
The association also demanded the payment of MRTF, new hazard allowance, skipping and implementation of corrected CONMESS in state tertiary health institutions and payment of omitted hazard allowance arrears.
The Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, SAN has warned against obstructing the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) from carrying out its lawful duty .
Fagbemi’s warning is contained in a statement in Abuja.
“This is a matter of very grave concern, it is now beyond doubt that the EFCC is given power by the law to invite any person of interest to interact with them in the course of their investigations into any matter, regardless of status.
“Therefore, the least that we can all do when invited, is not to put any obstruction in the way of EFCC, but to honourably answer their invitation.
“A situation where public officials who are themselves subject of protection by law enforcement agents will set up a stratagem of obstruction to the civil and commendable efforts of the EFCC to perform its duty is to say the least, insufferably disquieting’’.
He added that running away from the law will not resolve issues at stake but only exacerbate them.
“Nigeria has a vibrant judicial system that is capable of protecting everyone who follows the rule of law in seeking protection.
“I therefore encourage anyone who has been invited by the EFCC or any other agency to immediately toe the path of decency and civility by honouring such invitation instead of embarking on a temporising self-help and escapism.
“This can only put our country in bad light before the rest of the world’’.
He said institutions of state should be allowed to function effectively and efficiently.
“I stand for the rule of law and will promptly call EFCC, and indeed any other agency to order when there is an indication of any transgressions of the fundamental rights of any Nigerian by any of the agencies’’.
NAN reports that the EFCC had on Wednesday warned members of the public that it was a criminal offence to obstruct officers of the Commission from carrying out their lawful duties.
Section 38(2)(a(b) of the EFCC Establishment Act makes it an offence to prevent officers of the Commission from carrying out their lawful duties. Culprits risk a jail term of not less than five years.
The warning , the EFCC said, became necessary against the background of the increasing tendency by persons and groups under investigation by the Commission to take the laws into their hands by recruiting thugs to obstruct lawful operations of the EFCC.
On several occasions, the anti graft agency said, operatives of the Commission have had to exercise utmost restraint in the face of such provocation to avoid a breakdown of law and order.
Some unknown gunmen have kidnapped Joshua Rogers, the ChannelsTV reporter in Port-Harcourt, the Rivers State capital.
Politics Nigeria learnt that Rogers was picked up close to his residence at Rumuosi in Port Harcourt and to an unknown destination by the gunmen around 9pm on Thursday, April 11.
The reporter was driving his official ChannelsTV branded car when the hoodlums accosted, pointed a gun at him and took him away in the same vehicle.
Rogers was said to be returning from his official assignment in Government House after a trip to Andoni for a government event when the incident happened.
Already, the gunmen were said to have contacted his wife and demanded a N30million ransom for bis release.
His cameraman confirmed the incident and appealed to his abductors to set him free unconditionally.
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