Abuja Doctors Call off Strike Following Wike’s Intervention

The Association of Resident Doctors (ARD) in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, has called off its warning strike following the intervention of the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike.

The President of the Association, George Ebong, who confirmed this in a statement on Friday, January 24, 2024, in Abua, said the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA), under Wike’s leadership, had addressed their key demands.

The strike, which began on Wednesday, had paralyzed activities at all FCTA-owned hospitals in Abuja over unpaid arrears and other grievances.

However, Dr. Ebong revealed that members had begun receiving alerts for six months of outstanding salary arrears.

He further disclosed that the minister approved and ordered the immediate payment of long-overdue accoutrement allowances and the Medical Residency Training Funds for 2024.

Additionally, Wike approved a two-year medical residency bonding, the urgent recruitment of doctors and allied health workers to address manpower shortages and the immediate settlement of payments owed to locum doctors and other health workers.

With these developments, Dr. Ebong announced that doctors are expected to resume duties on Saturday, January 25, 2025, effectively averting a looming indefinite shutdown of hospitals in the FCT.

“On behalf of the executive members and the entire supreme congress of the Association of the Resident Doctors, FCTA, I, Dr. George Ebong, deeply appreciate the Honourable Minister, Nyesom Wike, for his prompt and timely intervention in meeting our demands, thereby ending our warning shutdown and averting a looming timeless shutdown.

“The Honourable Minister intervened, approved, and ordered the immediate payment of the six months of arrears of salaries owed to doctors and other health workers, alongside the Medical Residency Training Funds for 2024 and the long-overdue accoutrement allowances.”

“He also approved the two-year medical residency bonding, immediate employment of doctors and allied health workers to address the severe manpower shortage, and payment of locum doctors and other health workers owed.”

Dr. Ebong urged the FCT Minister to implement mechanisms to prevent a recurrence of these issues and called for attention to other pending demands. These include the payment of hazard allowances, upgrading and rehabilitation of healthcare facilities, and conversion of post-part 2 doctors to consultant status.

“We also humbly plead with the Honourable Minister to put a mechanism in place to avoid a repeat of this anomaly. While we sincerely appreciate the goodwill of the Honourable Minister, we are hopeful that our other demands will be attended to in due time,” he added.

He concluded by expressing confidence in the minister’s ability to transform healthcare delivery in the FCT.

“As stakeholders in the Renewed Hope Agenda, we strongly believe in your capacity as the Honourable Minister to turn the health sector of FCTA into a reference point for others to follow.

“Be rest assured of our continuous support in the actualisation of this agenda. We also look forward to welcoming you warmly to our district hospitals in no distant time. Thank you very much, our Honourable Minister; we do not take your goodwill for granted.”