By TIMOTHY CHOJI, Abuja

The Nigerian government says there is a solution in sight regarding the strike action embarked upon by the National Association of Resident Doctors of Nigeria.

Minister of Health, Dr Osagie Ehanire, made the declaration on Friday, in an interview with State House Correspondents soon after he met with President Muhammadu Buhari in the company of the Minister of Labour and employment.

He said: “We hope that there is a solution in sight; what we have done is to brief the President of the country, who as we all know has the final responsibility for everything that goes on in government. Those of us who are Ministers administer our ministries and have to report to him periodically.

“In this particular case, it has been important to report to him how things have been because of the strike action of resident doctors. We have to report to him the implications and the possible consequences of such a strike action.

“He listened to us carefully, of course, he is not happy that it has come this way and we all hope that it would be resolved after all the demands that were made have been resolved. The Minister of Labour has listed those demands and how all of them have been fulfilled except those of them which are not within our ambit; if the Association of Resident Doctors has a quarrel with a State government the Ministry can put in a word for them but we cannot order any State to do anything.

“All those things that have to do with disciplinary action within the Ministry of health will be attended to and what we have also urged the resident doctors to do is to have some trust in the system, this is a government, a regime that has always lived up to its expectations and always met its promise and not lumps all regimes together in one box,” he said.

Dr Ehanire appealed to the striking doctors to return to work so as to save lives, especially in the fight against COVID-19 and other diseases. (VON)