THE National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) has said that it is yet to receive the court order asking its members to suspend strike.
President of the association Uyilawa Okhuaihesuyi said his group only read about the judgment on social media since the court made the pronouncement on Monday.
Okhuaihesuyi said the association would forward the judgment to its legal team whenever it received it.
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He declined to comment on whether NARD would comply with the judgment or not.
The NARD has suspended services following the government’s failure to meet its demands.
After pleas by the government that the association rescind its decision yielded no result, the Federal Ministry of Health and the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment headed for the Industrial Court to compel the group to suspend the strike.
The Minister of Labour and Employment Chris Ngige, a medical doctor who has headed different sections of the health ministry, had threatened to sack all NARD members over the strike.
He had said he would execute his decision using the Industrial Court.
But President Muhammadu Buhari overruled him, ordering him to meet with the doctor for an amicable resolution of the impasse.
Ngige had convened a meeting with the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), NARD and other leading doctors’ unions in the country, namely the Medical and Dental Consultants Association of Nigeria (MDCAN) and the Association of Medical Doctors in the Academics, last Friday.
After a marathon meeting that dragged into Saturday, NMA signed an MoU with the government on behalf of NARD.
But NARD failed to sign the MoU, following the government insistence on invoking the “no work, no pay rule.”
The parties signed the MoU on the 19th day into the strike. The ICIR had reported on Monday how the strike had dragged, despite worsening cases of cholera, the third wave of COVID-19 and other ailments in the country.
The Nigerian government had approached the Industrial Court with Suit No: NICN/ABJ/197/2021.
The suit had the Federal Ministry of Health and the Federal Government as 1st and 2nd claimants/applicants and NARD as the only defendant/respondent.
Justice J.I Targema granted an order of interlocutory injunction compelling NARD to suspend the strike and resume work immediately pending the determination of the substantive suit.
The judge took the decision after hearing the ex parte motion and affidavit in support, sworn by Director of Legal Services at the Federal Ministry of Health Ahmed Nasiru
“Having looked especially on the affidavit of extreme urgency, the grounds of the application, the affidavit in support of same and arguments of counsel for the applicant.
“I also weighed the submissions and arguments of counsel on the law as it stands on this application.
“It is hereby ordered that claimant/applicant and the defendant/respondent suspend all forms of hostilities forthwith pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice,” the judge had said.
He also adjourned the matter until September 15 for a hearing of the motion on notice and/or any other pending application.
The applicants had sought an order of interlocutory injunction restraining NARD from further continuing with its strike.
Marcus bears the light, and he beams it everywhere. He's a good governance and decent society advocate. He's The ICIR Reporter of the Year 2022 and has been the organisation's News Editor since September 2023. Contact him via email @ mfatunmole@icirnigeria.org