THE National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) has insisted it will proceed with its planned nationwide strike despite a court injunction restraining the action.
They cited the Federal Government’s failure to fully address its demands, including the non-payment of salary arrears owed to thousands of doctors, as a key reason for the proposed industrial action.
The association said more than 2,000 of its members have yet to receive arrears from the 25–35 per cent adjustment to the Consolidated Medical Salary Structure (CONMESS), dismissing claims by the federal government that the outstanding payments have been settled.
NARD’s National President, Mohammad Suleman, stated this late Friday, January 9, during an interview on Politics Today on Channels Television, insisting that unresolved welfare issues informed the decision to embark on the strike.
Reacting to the government’s assertion that seven out of the association’s 19 demands had been statutorily addressed, including the payment of seven months’ CONMESS arrears, Suleman said the claims did not reflect the reality faced by resident doctors across the country.
“On the seven months’ arrears of 25–35 per cent, we still have over 2,000, almost 3,000 of our members who are yet to be paid those arrears,” he said
Suleman attributed the persistent delays to the government’s reliance on service-wide vote provisions, arguing that doctors should not have to wait for special interventions before their entitlements are captured in the budget.
“In 2023, it was said to be put inside the service-wide vote if it wasn’t paid. In 2024, it was put in the service-wide vote; in 2025, it was again put there.
“The President had to make special provision when doctors agitated for that money to be paid.
“Are we saying these arrears have to go through that route of waiting for service-wide vote after service-wide vote and waiting for the President of the country to specifically intervene before they are captured in the budget?” Suleman said.
He confirmed that discussions were ongoing with the federal government and the Ministry of Health, but stressed that talks alone would not stop the strike unless concrete actions were taken.
Suleman maintained that the association’s resolve remained firm despite the court order restraining the industrial action, noting that the injunction did not address the underlying issues confronting doctors.
“I am making it very clear that the resolve of our members is not shaken by all these. All these were factored into the decision to embark on this strike,” he said.
When asked about whether the strike scheduled to begin on Monday would still hold, Suleman said the final decision rested with the union’s National Executive Council.
“Unless the National Executive Council of the Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors says otherwise,” he said.
He also questioned whether the court injunction should take precedence over the conditions under which doctors work and patients receive care.
“Are we ignoring the sufferings that doctors are going through in this country? Are we ignoring the suffering that patients go through because doctors are exhausted, frustrated and have difficulties executing their jobs?” he asked.
Recall, the National Industrial Court of Nigeria in Abuja had on Thursday, January 8, ordered NARD and its members not to proceed with the strike scheduled for January 12. The order, granted by Justice Emmanuel Subilim, followed a motion filed by the federal government through the Attorney General of the Federation.
Despite the injunction, the association said the strike would only be suspended after all its demands are met, dismissing claims that the action is politically motivated.
Mustapha Usman is an investigative journalist with the International Centre for Investigative Reporting. You can easily reach him via: musman@icirnigeria.com. He tweets @UsmanMustapha_M