Resident Doctors Set To Join ASUU On Nationwide Strike Sept. 4

The gale of strike in the country is set to widen as resident doctors at the University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan has concluded plans to embark on an indefinite strike on Sept. 4.

President, Association of Resident Doctors, Dr Olusegun Olaopa, told journalists in Ibadan, said that the decision was in line with directive from the National Executive Council of the National Association of Resident Doctors, (NARD).

According to him, members of the association in UCH had been mobilised to commence the industrial action until the Federal Government accede to the demands of the national body.

“The association has resolved to proceed on indefinite industrial action from Monday, September, 4, 2017, until all these issues are permanently resolved. “So, in compliance with this directive, all resident doctors in UCH will join their counterparts in Nigeria to embark on an indefinite strike,” he said.

Olaopa said that the strike notice was signed by Dr John Onyebueze and Dr Aneke Emmanuel, the National President and Secretary, National Association of Resident Doctors of Nigeria (NARD), respectively.

He accused the federal and state governments of having not shown any commitment to the resolution of issues at stake nor honoured the previous agreements with the doctors.

The issues being agitated by NARD include persistent shortfalls and unpaid arrears of salaries in both federal and state tertiary health institutions as well as the enrollment of resident doctors into the integrated Personnel Payroll Information System (IPPIS) since 2003.

Other contentious issues include stagnation of promotion and non-promotion of members who have met the requisite criteria and non-implementation of adjusted House Officers’ Entry grade level equivalent since 2014.