FG Appeals to NARD to Suspend Warning Strike
Adeniyi Bakare
The Federal Government has appealed to the Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) to call off its ongoing warning strike, as the government works to address the association’s concerns.
The strike was necessitated by abduction of its members, Dr Popoola Ganiyat eight months ago among other issues.
Minister of State, Labour and Employment, Nkeiruka Onyejeocha, made the appeal during a meeting with NARD leaders in Abuja.
She said the government was commitment to citizens’ safety and assured that efforts are underway to address the association’s concerns.
Onyejeocha urged the doctors to consider their humanitarian role, and the potential risks to patients’ lives as a result of the strike.
She stated that President Tinubu has been engaging with security agencies to resolve the issue and has directed increased security measures around hospital facilities.
The Minister assured NARD that the government is working to secure the release of their kidnapped colleagues.
Onyejeocha said President Bola Tinubu remained committed to protecting lives and properties and to ensuring that “these conditions do not persist.”
“I plead with you please rescind the decision to continue the warning strike because I know that as we speak, people who are not kidnapped are dying, and I know you’re passionate about the lives and health of your brothers and sisters who are in the hospitals”. she stated.
She expressed sympathy for the families of kidnapped victims who tragically lost their lives.
NARD President, Dr. Dele Abdullahi Olaitan, explained that the warning strike resulted from frustration after failed attempts to secure the release of their kidnapped colleagues, especially Dr Popoola Ganiyat, a breastfeeding mother of five, who had been in captivity since 27th December, 2023, and Dr Fadahunsi, recently abducted in Kogi State.
He called on government to address the frequent abduction of healthcare workers and to fulfill its duty to protect lives.
