By LILIAN U. OKORO

The Association of Resident Doctors (ARD), Federal Neuro-Psychiatric Hospital, Yaba Chapter, has pleaded with the Federal Government to grant its eight minimum demands to avert resumption of its indefinite strike.

Its President, Dr. Temitope Okuwoga, made the appeal at a news conference on Wednesday in Lagos.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that the association’s national body, the Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) on Jan. 2 announced plans to resume its previously suspended total, indefinite and comprehensive strike with effect from Jan. 12.

This follows the Federal Government’s failure to fully implement agreed resolutions.

The NARD had on Nov. 29, 2025 suspended a 29-day nationwide strike that began on Nov. 1, following the association’s National Executive Council (NEC) meeting and the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Federal Government.

The association had granted a four-week window for the implementation of its demands, warning that failure to do so would result in the resumption of the strike.

Okuwoga explained that the resident doctors had reduced its initial 19 demands to a minimum of eight requests, to enable the government easily grant them, so that normalcy would return in the healthcare service.

She decried the federal government’s failure to abide by the agreement reached after series of meetings and dialogues that lead to the signing of the MoU.

Okuwoga said the demands of the doctors are long overdue, expressing optimism that urgently addressing the most pressing demands might avert the strike.

“The 30 days grace after signing of the MoU, following the suspension of the earlier strike, has elapsed.

“Throughout the 30 days, dialogues, meetings were ongoing, and an agreement reached. However, as we speak none of the demands have been fully met, though some were partially addressed.

“For any doctor to function optimally, his/her physical, mental health and psychosocial needs must be balanced.

“Any doctor whose welfare is not met is already a risk to the patients,” she said.

The NARD stated that if it renews its strike, suspension would only be considered after full implementation of its minimum demands.

The minimum demands include the reinstatement of the five resident doctors disengaged from the Federal Teaching Hospital, Lokoja; payment of outstanding promotion and salary arrears.

The full implementation of the professional allowance table with arrears captured in the 2026 budget are conditions to be met.

Other demands listed by the association include official clarification on skipping and entry-level placement issues by the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare to chief executives of health institutions.

Some other demands are the re-introduction and implementation of the specialist allowance; and the resolution of house officers’ salary delays and arrears, alongside the issuance of a pay advisory.

The association also demanded the re-categorisation of membership certificates and issuance of certificates after Part I examinations by the National Postgraduate Medical College of Nigeria.

It demanded the commencement of the locum and work-hours regulation committees, as well as the resumption and timely conclusion of the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) process.

The association stressed that it would resume the strike alongside a series of coordinated protests, beginning with centre-based demonstrations scheduled to hold from Jan. 12 to Jan. 16.

The earlier NARD strike disrupted services in federal and state tertiary health institutions nationwide. (NAN)