As the doctors strike persists, the Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) has rejected the Federal Government’s new Memorandum of Understanding (MoU).
Dr. Okhuaihesuyi Uyilawa, the National President of NARD, made this statement during a closed-door meeting on Sunday with relevant stakeholders and the Federal Government in Abuja.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Nigeria Medical Association (NMA) led the striking doctors to a meeting summoned by President Muhammadu Buhari to resolve the ongoing strike by doctors across the country.
NAN recalls that resident doctors staged an indefinite strike on Aug. 1 to deal with agitation among their members.
On Aug. 13, Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr. Chris Ngige, handed over the trade dispute between NARD and the Federal Government to the National Industrial Court of Nigeria for adjudication.
According to Uyilawa, the NARD refused to sign the MoU arranged by its parent body, NMA and the Federal Government because of an undisclosed clause.
“We rejected the MoU, and we didn’t sign it because we feel we are being punished for the failures of those in government,” he said.
The nationwide strike will continue, and the court case will continue.
However, he noted that NARD leadership must present the new MoU to its members before signing it.
In his own words, Ngige said that all other unions in the negotiation, including the NMA and the Medical and Dental Consultants of Nigeria have signed the new agreement.
He noted that the meeting had not addressed ‘No Work No Pay,’ but all parties at the meeting had agreed to settle out of court.
News Agency Of Nigeria
