Striking Doctors Dare Nigerian Government Over ‘No work, No pay’ Directive

Harder times await Nigerians who need medical attention at the nation’s public tertiary health facilities as striking doctors – members of the National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) – and the labour minister, Chris Ngige, have held on to their stance.

The minister on Friday while appearing on a Channels Television’s programme – Politics Today – said he had invoked the ‘no work, no pay rule,’ against the striking doctors, saying “they were taking the country for a ride.”

Mr Ngige also threatened that the doctors would be sacked by their various employers if the seven-day ultimatum he issued them expires.

The ultimatum, according to the minister, expires on Monday.

But in his reaction, the NARD President, Okhuaihesuyi Uyilawa, said the strike will continue until their demands are met.

Mr Uyilawa, who spoke in a telephone interview with Premium Times on Saturday, said his members are unperturbed by the minister’s threat.

“Let him sack all of us, we are not begging him. He is just the minister of labour and not President Muhammadu Buhari.

“He’s not even the first to sack doctors. Onyebuchi (Chukwu), the health minister between 2010 and 2014 sacked doctors during his time. The only thing that happened was that it brought the sector down.

“When Ngige does the same thing, it will only appear in his legacy as the labour minister that sacked doctors because they are demanding their wages and welfare packages.”

-Premium Times